Cherry Bubbles
by Fuuga Kumi
Summary: A series of unrelated drabbles/oneshots spanning a wide arc of characters and situations. Most of these were written for the kh drabble community at lj and reposted here for your viewing pleasure. New: As Large as Alone
1. The One That Remains

**The One That Remains**

When you're only fourteen, it's easy to believe miracles can happen within the span of a day. Because when you're only fourteen it's so easy to hang your life on seven words.

"I'll come back to you, I promise!"

Never mind the complete lack of a time frame; it would only be a short while before her two dearest friends came bounding back into her arms. She'd wait for them until then.

One day stretched into two, into five, into a month, and then months. I. She wouldn't hear talk that he might not make it. Because he had promised.

If it hadn't been for Selphie, who thoughtfully brought sunscreen and lunch nearly every day, Kairi may have completely forgotten her own needs. She appreciated the days when the brunette waited with her, it made her feel less crazy.

It was only later, after she remembered that she had forgotten that she made a startling realization.

"Maybe…waiting isn't good enough." Maybe, she thinks to herself, some promises need help from both sides.

With that in mind, she chased after the yellow dog. _I'll find you, I promise!_

_**** _

_Originally entered in the kh_drabble community over at livejournal, for the challenge "Promise". This drabble topped out at 187 words._


	2. The Blue Blue Sky

**The blue blue sky**

It's at awkward moments in time that Sora is reminded he's still himself but not.

It's during the peak of summer when it seems all the sun does is glare oppressively down on the world and the beaches are uninhabitable from the moment light fills the sky till the moment dusk settles.

It's during the time when Kairi can't even so much as think going outside without getting a sunburn and Riku and Tidus and Wakka all run around in flip flops and swim trunks and nobody even knows where Selphie is, although Sora half suspects she's out on the island staring dreamily at the ocean and thinking things only Selphie could think.

But it's during these hot simmering days that Sora has the strangest phantom memories. Of things like clock towers and club houses with musty couches and trains and sea salt ice-cream.

Something in the corner of his heart twitches in loss and longing and on these days Sora wants to apologize to the part of him that isn't himself for waking up.

********

Originally written for the kh_drabble community over at livejournal, for the challenge "heat wave". This drabble topped out at 175 words.


	3. Blue Salvia

**Blue Salvia**

It was just automatically assumed that what one thought, the other two would agree with. That was the way it worked with everything else. From ice creams (vanilla-chocolate swirl) to tv shows (sitcoms) to prefered school subjects (math) to favorite time of day (dawn). So it understandable came as somewhat of a shock when - lacking better conversation- they turned to discussing the merit of a certain crew of Nobodies.

"They were a pain," Sora groaned.

"They made everything so much more complicated." Riku kicked at a rock to expound his displeasure.

"They weren't all bad." Kairi said in her quiet way.

Both boys looked at her in shock. "Of course they were!" The boys echoed each other.

In truth, Kairi hadn't expected them to understand. Her boys tended to see the world very cut and dry. You are in my way, therefore you are the bad guy, therefore I will take you down.

But she remembered the scared look in her captors eyes even as they proclaimed having no hearts to feel with. She remembered the feel of Namine's hand and the strength in her voice.

There was no point to prove here, she just aimed to make them aware; which was a different matter entirely. Instead of wasting her breath on lengthy arguing, she set them with her steady eyes and spoke one word, "Axel."

His eyes sparked a darker blue than normal as he flushed and turned away. "That's not the same," he murmured in a voice not quite his own.

Then the subject was effortlessly changed to something benign and safe and soothing against the pain that he couldn't completely claim as his.

****

Originally written for the kh_drabble community over at livejournal, for the challenge "Black and White". This drabble tops out at 277 words. Also Blue Salvia is a flower that represents "I think of you."


	4. Under Pressure

**Under Pressure**

It did not rain, the day their world ended. It was all clear blue skies and warm sunshine. They should have reacted faster, they should have noticed the sudden, strange darkness of the shadows as a threat.

It is not sunny in the place they wake up. This new, not home-but it might be for a while. In fact, the sun never seems to rise here.

The airship pilot that saved them is off in the corner, staring angrily at the sky and muttering hateful things under his breath. He refused to be healed, preferring to deal with the crusted blood in his would be blond hair by himself.

Yuffie is curled against herself on the staircase leading up to more unknown. Her tiny shoulders are quivering and she; the great ninja, doesn't even try to hide her tears. "What do we do now?" her voice is barely a whimper, a reminder of how young they all are in the eyes of reality.

Aerith is silent as she winds more bandages around the younger girl's arm. There's foreign black soot smeared across her face from those strange, terrible creatures.

For his part, he tries to stay calm. Tries to push down the strangling fear that this is it, it's just them against the void. No more, no more, and he can feel something inside him shift away from Squall Leonhart into someone else with thicker skin.

"We survive."

****

Originally written for the kh_drabble community over at livejournal for the prompt "Strength." This drabble tops out at 232 words.


	5. All the King's Men

**All the King's Men**

Yuffie knows that they know that she knows that they're waiting for her to break. It's been that way since the beginning, when she was small and tiny and only came up to Aerith's waist. It's been this way since before she really knew them and they had found her right after she saw a heartless pry her father's ribs apart and snatch his heart away. It's been this way since SqualLeon found her, his face still bleeding as he held her shoulders with soft warm leather gloved hands and stared her straight in the eyes and she wondered if he could see through all that blood pouring from that gash between his brows.

"Yuffie," he had said, "are you alright?" and even though she was so small and young she heard the unspoken words in his voice. _Cry, it's okay_.

But instead she just nodded her head, "That stupid old man got himself killed. Nobody _told _him to do that" Because she was never the type to sob Daddy.

And so what if she convinces herself the reason she was shaking was because she was cold? It certainly had nothing to do with that hot feeling of hurt and loss swirling in her stomach. Nope, that's just indigestion. Yuffie is nothing if not practical in the face of a budding war, age aside and she knows her father did what he did because that's just who he was and no amount of bawling and snotting on other people was going to change that or bring him back.

She knows they're watching her, waiting for her sunny disposition to dry up. For her to finally snap and curl into herself and sob and scream and just give _in _to everything that they've been through. Crying is for more delicate examples of the female persuasion though; not for battle hardened ninja teens.

But she also knows that it's this constant worrying, this shifty out-of-the-corner way of looking over their shoulders at her that's keeping them from doing the same damn thing. Some day she feels like maybe she's the thread keeping them together, not SqualLeon's carefully executed patrol plans, not Aerith's warm Potato Soup with yummy bits of various meats floating in it, not Cid and all his cool and shiny and confusing schematics; just little old her.

So instead of giving them what they want (what they need? She doesn't even consider this as an option; they're all too tough for that sissy emotional touchy feely crap) she steals things from Cid, making him come up with more and more imaginative swears to use at her and she calls SqualLeon names and grins in response to his stoic frowning and might occasionally purposely get herself into a few predicaments that require Aerith to pull (or push, as in that one time and the problem with the Too Small for Yuffie Window) out of.

She feels it's what (responsible) friends do when the whole collective group of them is staring at the pile of shit life has handed them. And really? She's mostly-sort of- kind of- okay with this set up.

Even if she does still kind of miss her Daddy…

****

Originally written for the kh_community over at livejournal. The prompt here was "walls" This drabble tops out at 530 words.


	6. Memory of Heart

_Memory of Heart _

The heart of hearts remembers back and back and back. It remembers a time before mouse kings and keywielders and mermaids and heroes. Back before magic carpets and before boys knew how to fly or lie and before roses wilted and gardens were only ever plain, never radiant. The heart remembers a time when all the worlds were tied together by heartstrings. They all pulsed as one, lived in harmony of one another, and above all they flourished together. When something good happened in one place it radiated outward from the very core of the world to the others, the heartstrings thrumming with warmth and good intent.

Then, the darkness fell. This was something primitive, something before Xenohart and his heartless. This was war, famine, disease, and hatred. It was bitter and cold and painful and warped the denizens of these once peaceful worlds into something else. They grew in size, bigger and bigger and their smiles dropped away with the passing days and they yelled (there was yelling before, but it was so very much different) at each other and snapped and snarled and changed so severely. They began calling themselves "grown ups" and "adults" and it was a dark thing indeed.

But the heart of hearts knew this madness could be contained, not stopped for it was far too late for that, and the heart of hearts separated the worlds; throwing up borders and implanting stories in the heads of these "men" and "women" creatures.

The fighting quelled, it still existed as a low rumble in the base of their spines but without the lure of expanding what was theirs and claiming things that were not they pushed their energies into a different direction. They called it technology. And every world reached this point at a different moment in time since the group thread had been severed and every world met it with a different theory behind it.

Sometimes though, memories would bleed through the seams and someone would stare wistfully at the sky as if they remembered other worlds.

"Other worlds are nothing but a myth," the "men" and "women" would sneer at those who hadn't become jaded and cruel and the heart couldn't fool these much more innocent creatures that were now referred to as "children".

And hope was born again.

_****_

Originally written for the kh_drabble community at livejournal. Second entry for the prompt "walls". This drabble tops out at 385 words


	7. Sprig of Holly

**Sprig of Holly **

Squall was going to die, there was no way around it. This information settled into him like a drug even as he attempted to hack and slash his way to freedom. The shadow creatures were too large in number; he was too alone with only the bailey wall pressed against his back in place of comrades.

He could taste the blood still seeping from the cut he had taken across the bridge of his nose; it fell in rivulets, obscuring his vision and painting everything a grotesque shade of pink. There was no time to cast a heal spell, even if he had the energy to spare.

The wind picked up suddenly, pressing against everything in its wake. The shadows hissed, scurrying away from the new intrusion. With the wind came a noise, like a motorboat , or a helicopter , or _an airship_, Squall thought with a sudden sense of relief.

He watched, half slumped over his own gunblade, as the ship moved in closer. It was like nothing he had ever seen before; a ridiculous monstrosity comprised of brightly colored blocks. A pale hand was extended to him from the open bay door.

"Hurry!" a young girl cried, tugging at him by his jacket.

Squall scurried into the ship's hull, his blade falling next to him with a clatter. The girl that had helped pull him in passed her hand over his face and he felt the instant take of magic stitching his injury closed. It fell away quickly, the wound still open but no longer bleeding.

"I'm sorry," that same voice from before said, "that's all I have left."

She removed her hand, offering an exhausted smile. Squall recognized her almost instantly as the young healer in training from the academy; Gainsborough or something. He gave the cabin a cursory glance, there was only one other person back here with them, a small girl with a mop of black hair. She glared at him from beneath an over-sized towel and as far as Squall was concerned she greatly resembled a half drowned kitten.

"If yer done playing hero I'd like to get the hell outta here before those things take a chunk outta our tail." came the pilot. He stared over his shoulder at Squall with a flat look. "Well kids, ain't you got something to say to the guy that saved yer lives?"

The small kitten like girl lobbed a sopping wet shoe at the pilot, nailing him square in the head. "You sure took your sweet ass time you stupid old man!" she shrieked. Which they would later learn was Yuffie for "thank you".

They sat there huddled in that small cabin as the man named Cid piloted them to safety; nobody meeting anyone else's eyes and none of them having any idea what they had just gotten themselves into as their home caved to the darkness.

****

Originally written for the kh_drabble community at livejournal. Entry for the prompt "chance meeting. This drabble tops out at 481 words_. _


	8. Voiciferation

**Voiciferation**

He was leaving again, without her. She glared at her bandaged arm, idiot. It was dangerous outside, moreso to try and fight alone.

"Give him a reason to come back." Aerith encouraged.

Yuffie jumped off her bed and ran down the hallway.

Leon looked surprised.

She cried, "I LOVE YOU STUPID!"

****

Originally written for the kh_drabble community at livejournal. Entry for the prompt "50 words."This drabble is exactly 50 words. (also quick shout-out to Fenrir_of_the_Eclipsing_Shadow, thanks for leaving a comment!)


	9. Task at Hand

**Task at Hand**

"Go and find the one with the key," had been the written instructions.

So they set out, intent on finding a savior.

They got a boy with bright eyes and wide smiles.

They came away from it all with a friend who stole their hearts in the best way possible.

****

Originally written for the kh_drabble community at livejournal. Entry for the prompt "50 words."This drabble is exactly 50 words. (also more love to Fenrir_of_the_Eclipsing_Shadow, thanks for leaving a comment! See people, I'd give the rest of you love if you'd give me feedback. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate being added to your favorites list but I crave comments!)


	10. Come Clean

A.N. This one actually gets an opening note since it's of considerable more length than everything else posted to this story. This is a one-shot written for the kh_request community over at lj; it was a song lyrics inspired prompt so this was written to the requested song of "Come Clean" by Eisley. (Fenrir_of_the_Eclipsing_Shadow, I'm depending on you for feedback plz?)

**Come Clean**

When she was only fourteen and the world was still so bright, Kairi became aware of things. Like the edge in Riku's voice, the glint in his eyes. Something was changing with her friend (their friend) something he wouldn't share with anyone. It was a dark something, of this much she was sure.

"Riku's changed," she whispered one evening to Sora, but the look of confused shock written across his face was enough to convince her that maybe she was just imagining things. After all, they were all changing weren't they? So she pushed her concerns aside with a giggle and a smile that never reached her heart.

She didn't blame him for what happened, for the temptation of opening the door. He craved to be the best at what he did, that was a given. She noticed it in every motion of his body, every laugh, every line he fed her. Kairi might have let him think she believed the half truths he told but she recognized them for the lies they were.

Kairi never told them, Riku or Sora, about what she really went through during that first half of her adventure. Most of her conscious was with Sora, bound tightly to his heart that kept her own fluttering with life, but part of it remained in her own body. It wasn't much, barely enough to make out muddled words. But she saw Riku, and she clung to his visage. She was there to witness the worst of his descent into darkness, she was present when the man named Ansem took total control of his body.

"It's not Riku!" She wanted to cry to Sora when anguish gripped his heart at the thought of facing his best friend. She wants to push Sora forward, to make him embrace the other boy and stop this madness. Neither one realized what the other needed until it was too late and that large ivory door loomed between them. Sora was safe, of that she knew, but Riku...once again Riku was the unknown variable. It wasn't that she doubted his intergrity, but he was locked away behind the darkness and even she could feel the tug of power from that otherside.

So she prayed, she prayed and prayed for both her boys but a little extra hard for Riku and prayed until she forgot who was on her mind.

When it was all said and done with, truly done with, and they were all safely back on familiar sand staring out at their familiar ocean Kairi noticed a new change in Riku. He wouldn't take Sora up on the challenges for mock battles, "No. I won't fight you ever again." He wouldn't even look Kairi in the eyes.

She tried to confront him one day and for all her subtle efforts all she got was an avoidant gaze somewhere beyond her left shoulder and "it's nothing." This pattern continued for days on end until finally, one day, she leaned over and punched Riku as hard as she could in the shoulder.

It wasn't hard at all, but he still looked mildly shocked. "I won't believe in you if you keep lying like this." She hissed darkly.

Riku stared down to where Kairi had clasped his hand with her own. His eyes are wild, breath coming in short bursts. "Everything that happened," he half whispers, "all of it started because of me. It was my fault you lost your heart, my fault that Sora gave his up. Why doesn't this bother you more?" He's holding her now, gingerly by the elbows with just the tips of his fingers and Kairi can feel him try to push her away.

She reaches up, past his halfhearted defenses and wraps her arms around his neck. It's a stretch for her and she's standing on the tips of her toes just to be this close to him. "Whatever you've done is just that, done. It's in the past. We're here now, that's what's important."

Kairi almost sighs with relief when Riku wraps his arms tentatively around her waist.

It's not an instantaneous confessional. It's still many days and months stretched ahead of them before Riku can feel clean again. But they face it all, together.


	11. Overcast

**Overcast**

He once believed the only way he could destroy Sephiroth was to shed the light completely. Only by becoming darkness could he defeat darkness itself. Or something along those lines.

That had been a mistake, proven to him by a pair of young blue eyes.

"You'll find your light, I'm sure of it."

----

Cloud leaned heavily on his sword; breath coming in short, ragged gasps and white lights popping behind his eyes at regular intervals. _Bastard broke ribs this time,_ he thought darkly. He was out of potions, ethers, out of lifelines at this point and on some world he hadn't bothered to catch the name of; only knew there wasn't another living soul for miles and miles.

He stared at the ground, hard, as if the dry earth would hold the answers he sought. A black and white sneaker slid into view, followed closely by a gloved hand tipping a hi-potion against his lip; the other hand hovering nearby incase he fell over before the potion worked.

Hazel eyes watched him patiently until the magic took hold and he could feel everything moving properly again.

"Tifa." It wasn't a question, just facts. It slid from his throat in the same dry monotone everything else did these days. He didn't smile at her, wasn't even sure his facial muscles could form the necessary pattern.

She tilted her head, studying him. "You were close that time," she says in the same voice normal people say things like 'nice weather we're having'. Then again, given their history Cloud had to seriously draw her sanity into question after everything she had done (and put up with) for him. She's leaning forward suddenly, placing band-aids and ointments against scratches the potion didn't quite take care of; the ones not serious enough to waste another bottle on. Cloud doesn't pull away from her, as he might have once; he doesn't flinch and insist he's fine, just takes it with the same stoicism he lives his life by.

Tifa doesn't mind the silence, fills him in on things back home. "Aerith sent a big bowl of potato soup, it's in the pack. Leon gave me a box to give you, says it's for weapon repairs. Yuffie sent you a book. I'm not going to ask because quite frankly I don't want to _know_ given the cover art. And Merlin asks that you please let him know how these new potions are working."

She's done patching him, apparently, and the next thing Cloud knows Tifa's sliding a warm bowl of soup into his hands. "Eat up," she instructs with a smile lighting up her face. She sits down next to him (so close he can feel the warmth of her body), legs outstretched.

"Next time." Tifa says, eyes trained on the heavens as stars slowly wink into existence, "we'll get him next time."

Cloud doesn't smile, not physically, but he can feel something in his chest loosen, begin to float and if Tifa would turn her head she'd see his eyes are a brighter shade of blue. He too turns to watch the sky with all those stars, all those worlds, all those possibilities.

"I'm sure of it."

****

This was originally written for the kh_drabble community over at livejournal. Entry for the prompt "Second Chance", this drabble tops out at 535 words.


	12. Gentlemen Aren't Nice

Opening note: this is another request for kh_request, written to the song "Gentlemen Aren't Nice" by Emilie Autumn.

**Gentlemen Aren't Nice**

Axel was her favorite to fuck with, both literally and figuratively. The others played well enough, they knew the lines to say; and some of them even managed to put the right inflictions on the right words to make it sound like they actually cared.

But Axel, oh Axel. He was the best at playing the game. He gave her wild arm motions, creased brows, knowing smirks. Something in her chest stirred and if she had a heart, she'd call it fondness.

Larxene knew though, that it was all just a diversion until Kingdom Hearts was finally in their grasps.

"You're breaking my heart." Axel crooned one afternoon when she told him this.

She smiled prettily back at him. "You should be so lucky."

Then he was pushing her against the wall of Castle Oblivion, tongue lapping at her neck, free hand tugging at her zipper. Oh yes, Axel was definitely her favorite player in this game.

Days and days and days later, when Sora finally strikes her down it's Axel's smug face she sees before the darkness swallows her whole. "Traitor." she hisses.

She was almost glad that she couldn't play their twisted little game anymore.


	13. Things Rarely AreBL

**The following drabble was a request. It does contain light shonen-ai (boy love if you aren't familiar with the term) I'm posting this note so none of you feel like you were tricked into reading it. I'm also asking that, as it is a request and this note IS posted, if you have any problems with the content to please just turn around now. From this point onward there will be a note attached to any drabble/ one shot that is boylove and there will be an asterick next to that title.**

**-----**

**Things Rarely Are**

Riku knew Roxas wasn't Sora, even if he was part of him. His face was too angular, hair too light, and Sora had never (could never) sneer at any one with that level of hate. Too many things too different.

But Riku had become very well versed in pretending lately.

It was such a familiar scene, angry eyes slanted his direction, mouth pulled down in a disatisfied pout. Riku couldn't help the grin as he beckoned the other boy forward. Roxas lunged at him with a short yell, thrusting the keyblade forward. It was almost depressingly easy to sidestep the attack. "Not good enough," he hissed, bringing his own weapon down against the other boy's shoulders.

Roxas rolled away at the last moment, throwing his keyblade out to block Riku's attack. They pushed away from each other with a sharp _slllng_ of metal sliding against metal. "Not this time," Roxas growled.

Riku felt a dark thrill tickling the base of his spine.

On and on the battle went, a blurring series of thrusts and parries. Vaguely, Riku wondered if Nobodies were capable of becoming exhausted. He was growing impatient with this never ending battle, and decided it was past time to do something about that. It was a dirty trick, he knew that, but _really_ what other option did he have at this point? So Riku bid his time; and just as Roxas shot past him he stomped his foot down, hard, on the tail of his jacket.

Roxas falls on his knees and elbows just as the sky overhead rips open and pours its collected sorrow on them both. He tries to turn over fast, but Riku is even quicker at pinning him down. He's on his back now, one of Riku's legs thrown over each of his, and his arms are being held down with only one hand. He almost snarls at the silver haired boy, "that's not fair!"

Riku is quiet for a long moment as the rain slips under Roxas's hood, painting his hair burnt copper. "So many things rarely are." And then he's moving in, free hand used to still Roxas's face as he steals a kiss.


	14. MomentBL

**The following drabble was a request. It does contain light shonen-ai (boy love if you aren't familiar with the term) I'm posting this note so none of you feel like you were tricked into reading it. I'm also asking that, as it is a request and this note IS posted, if you have any problems with the content to please just turn around now. **

**-----**

**Moment**

"I'll go on ahead!" Sora had called over his shoulder to his companions before taking off at a comfortable sprint. The weather on this world was nearly perfect, and it had been so long since Sora had the chance to run just for the sake of running.

He almost, not quite but almost, missed the black gloved hand that shot out from the alleyway and pulled him in.

Axel's lips were hot on his own, his hands reaching around to twine in Sora's hair.

"Miss me?" He asks,grinning against Sora's lips.

The brunet can't help but think _always_ but he doesn't answer like that; it's too delicate, too girly, and too attached.

_You're nothing but a distraction, keep it memorized_ Axel had hissed against his neck last time they met. But Sora could tell he said those things more to himself; as if by constant repition he could make them true.

"Maybe," the blue-eyed boy answers instead.

"Oh? And what could I do to change that answer?" Axel moves down to nuzzle the hollow of Sora's neck.

"I think you're doing a good job at the moment."


	15. TrainingBL

**The following drabble was a request. It does contain light shonen-ai (boy love if you aren't familiar with the term) I'm posting this note so none of you feel like you were tricked into reading it. I'm also asking that, as it is a request and this note IS posted, if you have any problems with the content to please just turn around now. **

**-----**

**Training**

"No." Sora said, for what had to be the twentieth time in as many minutes. His finger flexed against the spray bottle, an act that made the tiny kitten slinking across the living room flinch.

Riku watched all this with some amusement from the kitchen. Sora had gotten it into his head some days ago that they needed a pet to make their new life complete. Which is how they ended up with a stubborn minded kitten. After she had chewed through several important cords (things that kept their lamps powered, their television set, their microwave) Sora had then decided it was time to train kitten.

She hadn't taken kindly to being squirted in the face, sadly it did little in the way of stopping her rampage around their living spaces.

Enjoying the little battle of wills, Riku reached behind him for one of the cookies Sora had just baked not long ago. They were still warm to the touch, and slightly goopey.

That's when the stream of water connected with the side of his face. Sora was staring at him from the living room, the spray bottle aimed directly at him. "No."

Feeling a streak of defiance, Riku picked up a cookie.

And got sprayed again. "I said, _no_. Bad Riku. We haven't eaten dinner yet."

Riku popped the cookie into his mouth, smiling around the chocolate chips.

Sora, for his part, merely looked exhasperated. He stood up, stretched the kinks out of his shoulders and walked into the kitchen. Where he proceeded to unscrew the cap on the spray bottle and attempt to pour it over Riku's head. The ensuing tussle finally ended with both of them slightly breathless and completely drenched.

"You're a bad kitty," Sora scolded Riku, smacking him lightly on the nose. Finding it too ridiculous to believe, Riku only laughed in agreement before moving in to seal the end of their spat with a chocolate-y kiss.


	16. By Definition

**By Definition**

Her life seems to be proceeded by one question, "Excuse me. I'm looking for someone...he has spiky hair..."

She's been asked, several times in fact by several different people, if she isn't tired of always searching. "It's obviously one sided. If you meant this much to _him_ he wouldn't make you look for him."

The look of appalled outrage shows Tifa has never even considered this an option. "I don't look for him because I have to." She snaps back, "I look for him because he's my friend. This is what friends do, they help each other." And she moves on with her self appointed quest, a whirlwind of dark hair and bright heart.

----

The boys in Radiant Garden are just like the boys anywhere else, rough around the edges and crude for too many years before they realize their behavior is wrong. Still, when you're seven the world is black and white. "Girls are too _weak_ to do anything." they sneer at the little girl with pigtails that wants to play with them. This is all and well, until one of them falls off the bailey wall shortly after and it's the kind lady in pink that comes to their aid.

"I don't know," Aerith says with an indulgent smile, "I am a girl. Maybe I'm too weak to heal your broken arm?"

They know she's just teasing them though, her quiet way of correcting their unacceptable behavior. She knows from their down-turned faces they've been sufficiently punished and the next day she finds them in her garden; spades in each of their hands, asking if they can't be of help to her.

----

For all her crass jokes and sharp wit it's the _right_ moments she lives for. When she finally hits the perfect note, finds the right step and Leon's eyes soften by mere degrees. It's those moments that she knows he'll be alright, and even if he doesn't say it out-loud, Yuffie knows it's because she's there to make it so.

----

"Girls aren't like boys." Sora's mother had instructed him once, many moons ago when he was still small enough to fit in her lap, "You can't treat them the same. Girls are delicate and should be cherished and loved."

Sora took this to mean opening doors ahead of girls, occasionally letting them beat him in races, offering to carry their books for them in the hallway. This was all fine, when he was still just a simple island boy.

But Sora's adventures had introduced him to so many self sufficient, independent women. Most of them, in fact, scared him on a level Organization XIII could only hope to achieve. He had seen the determined look in Jasmine's eyes, heard Jane spout off with theories he couldn't begin to follow. He had seen the unparalleled dreams Ariel carried, watched how brave Belle truly was, witnessed Megara and all the burdens she carried. He was witness to the trials of Mulan, had fought alongside Yuffie and Tifa; felt Aerith's unending compassion and even saw his own Kairi take up a weapon.

Part of Sora was secretly relieved he was in the good graces of all these ladies.

Sora didn't think his mother was wrong; girls definitely aren't like boys. In many ways he felt they surpassed their male counterparts in too many ways for men to even be on the same level as them.

****

End Note: This drabble was originally written for the kh_drabble community. Entry for the prompt "Remember the Ladies" This drabble tops out at 566 words.


	17. The Way Our World Ends

**The Way Our World Ends**

Tifa ran into him, literally, on an uncomfortably hot day out in some forsaken world. Sometimes (she thinks this just before the collission) she wonders why Sephiroth and Cloud always seem to pick the most backwater places to snarl at each other dramatically. Then she's having the wind knocked out of her, can feel the jarring impact and how it affects her flow of movement. Tifa is all kinds of graceful, but falling downstairs had never been her forte.

Strong arms wrap around her and a person (angular, so skinny she's afraid to hold back) curls himself about her form, spins them so he takes the brunt of the fall. Tifa's hands clutch at his chest, the uncomfortable ring of leather sliding against leather filling her ears over the stranger's grunt of pain.

She stands up quickly, moving away from the awkward half straddle she'd just been in and holds out a hand to help her momentary savior up. Already she can hear the distant clash of swords and knows she doesn't have much time to spare. "Thank you." she says, swallowing her othere questions with practice ease. iwhy did you do that for me?/i No amount of asking can change the past, Tifa knows that too well to care anymore.

The face she stares down at momentarily steals her breath away. He makes her think of another world where they had groups of people referred to as "punks". Ridiculously red hair (the color she's watched children use for blood), poison green eyes and matching tattoos sliding down each cheek. He grinned at her in a way that was all edges. All ending in a long, black coat.

Tifa thinks she may have gasped, just a little, before settling into a stance. "You're with the Organization!" she accuses harshly, the warmth that had saturated her voice just moments ago is nowhere to be seen.

The redhead pulls himself up, pretending to dust the hem of his jacket off. "Guilty as charged I'm afraid. Name's Axel, got that memorized?"

She takes a shifting step backwards, "I don't want any trouble. I'm just trying to save my friend."

The man (not man? She had never really grasped the whole "nobody" thing), Axel looked up at her with wide eyes. She thought it made him look younger, thought the sudden shift to that darker green color suited him better than those bright bright eyes. He chuckles, just once, and it's a sound so self deprecating Tifa's not sure whether she should cry for him. "Funny. Me too. Not always an easy job, is it?"

He's moving away from her, not in the normal sense but with a portal of darkness summoned directly behind him. Axel offers one last smile (not edges this time, broken pieces) and is gone.

Tifa doesn't wait to see if he'll reappear, doesn't stop to think about anything that just happened; she's off like a shot again and racing towards the only thing that matters right now.

Still, she can't help but call over her shoulder. "Good luck!"

****

This wasn't written for anything specific, I just realized the parallels between what Tifa does and what Axel is trying to do. This drabble tops out at 508 words.


	18. Keys to the Kingdom

**Keys to the Kingdom**

The castle loomed in front of Mickey; all whitewashed stones and capped blue spires. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, about it's presence that should make his heart stutter, and yet it did. He procrastinated, checking the patches on his overalls, trying to wipe the excess soot from his hands. Takes a few extra moments to ponder whether he should go home and change. The king _did_ tell him to come right over after work, but this really wasn't the place for a steamboat worker...

"Ah Mickey, there you are!" called the king from the castle stairs. Mickey watched, trying to keep his ears from drooping in a fit of nerves, as a band struck up a lively tune while the king approached him.

"You look nervous my friend," said the king in his ever sing-song voice.

Mickey chuckled, only a little because the rest of the sound seemed to lodge behind his tongue. "Well, Sir, I mean no disrespect but I think you may have made a mistake. There's no _way_ you really mean for me to be here." Mickey keeps the unkind thoughts tucked away, that maybe the rest of the kingdom was right and this man was loosing his marbles.

He's still smiling at Mickey though, even as he drops to kneel in front of the mouse; hands on Mickey's shoulders.

"Y-your Majesty."

"Now you listen Mickey, I know what I'm doing. Your heart is strong, it's full of the light this kingdom is going to need from my successor. And besides, I'm going to be right here to help you learn anything you need, alright?"

Mickey thinks he might cry, which he thinks is awfully unmanly for the guy who was just told he'll rule the kingdom. He sniffles instead, "Gosh your Majesty."

And the king is laughing, loud full belly laughs. "Please Mickey! If anyone has earned the rights to call me by my name it would be you."

Mickey finally finds his smile again, "Heh. Alright, I'll try to do you proud, Walt."

****

This drabble was written for challenge 201 over at kh_drabble. The theme was "teacher" and this drabble tops out at 337 words.


	19. A Matter of Wording

**A Matter of Wording**

For the most part, it's not hard for Namine to stay busy. Chaining together Sora's broken memories is a delicate job, like holding a butterfly. But occasionally the memories take care of themselves, one leading to another leading to another in a sudden reaction of "oh yea, I remember." When that happens all Namine has left is her own overwhelming guilt.

"Do you think he can ever forgive me?" She asks the man who once called himself Riku. Neither of them look at the other, both sets of eyes are trained on the sleeping form in the middle of the room.

"It's not in his nature to worry about that kind of thing," is the only comfort she gains.

She feels like she needs to do more to make amends, even if Sora doesn't remember her, she still remembers for him.

It's not until after she gets the chance to meet Roxas, after watching those familiar blue eyes that the idea comes to her in those last precious few days.

A final letter, it may be trite, but it's all she has time to give.

Namine doesn't write in the conventional sense. It's not because her penmanship is lacking, and it's not because she can't. But words have never been her strength.

"Besides," She says to the white room, the drawings she's tacked to the walls providing the only splashes of color, "don't they say a picture is worth a thousand words?"

She moves pen across paper, large arcs and dark swirls, her beginning; _Dear Sora_. Spiraling staircases and long empty hallways, _I can never say I'm completely sorry for what I've done_. Windows staring into nothing, _because it led you to me_. Curtains, ruffled in a gentle breeze and a lone chair in an otherwise devoid room _and I can't regret that_. A hollow crystal pod _even if the memories weren't real_. Finally, Sora's own sleeping face _You and I were, for just a moment_. At the very bottom of that last page, a tiny birdcage _Namine_.

She wants to leave it on the chair, wants desperately to make sure he finds it. But that's not fair; to him, to the others, to the worlds. So she shuffles it into the corner, knowing she can't be here when he awakes and puts all her hope into that little book.

He doesn't find it, but in the end that's okay too.

****

This drabble was originally written for the lj community kh_drabble challenge 204 "Letters". It tops out at 401 words.


	20. This Duet Called Mother and Son

**This Duet Called Mother and Son**

She can't help but turn an anxious glance towards the staircase; wondering where her son could be, why she hasn't seen him staggering into the kitchen these past few mornings with sleep still clinging to him like a tangible scent.

_She can't do more than watch helplessly out the kitchen window, missing her baby boy so badly, longing for him to come crashing into the dining room with the smell of the ocean surrounding him like a living thing._

It's part of her nature, wrapped in the very essence that allows herself to say she's a mother to worry about what he's up to. She imagines he'll be hauled home any minute now by his friends, the rougher one and himself half bloodied. Another fight, she convinces herself, that's what's keeping him. A fight with those strange children in the sandlot. She worries about what happened to her smiling child.

_She tries to keep the fear at bay but it's wrapped too tightly alongside her feelings of love, she wants to keep him safe from the world. But she knows it's not as bad as it seems, it can't be, and any moment now he'll be dragged home by his friends. Probably tangled with sea-weed and half drowned. Another hero mission, she knows that's what it is, trying to save Selphie's flip-flop or Kairi's bracelet from the waves._

It comes as somewhat of a surprise the day she opens the door and a young girl dressed all in white is standing on the other side.

"Who-" The girl lifts one hand, smiling so serenely that she doesn't doubt she's here as a good omen.

"Diz said not to worry about you," says the girl, "that you're only part of the program. But he was your son. He was real to you," and her heart flutters so helplessly she has to cling to the door-frame least she swoon, "so I thought you deserved to know. Roxas is alright. He's better than he's been for a while actually. So please don't worry about him anymore."

She believes the girl, has no choice but to, and her heart aches so fiercely for her son she thinks it might destroy her right there.

_She's both ecstatic and terrified when Kairi comes running across her lawn, the young girl's face flush but filled with some private joy._

"He's alright!" Kairi blurts before she even has the chance to offer the girl a drink, "he can't come home just yet, but he will. He promised."

She knows Kairi's not lying, the girl wouldn't fib about something like this, and she's gripped with such a surge of love for her Sora she thinks she just might break. 

_****_

___This drabble wasn't written for anything in particular, just a thought I had bouncing around my head. It tops out at 442 words (Pssst, final fantasy fans, check out my journal for a link to a FF Christmas exchange community. The more the merrier!)_  



	21. Back and Forth and Back

**Back and Forth and Back**

They're home again, back to everything again. They return to the same houses, face the same ocean, breath the same air, and yet they know they've irrevocably changed. Riku sums up their feeling of disquiet the best, "The life we had won't be ours again." They were the same, and yet not.

Sora's iridescent personality is tempered, a shining silver gold now instead of the impossible blazing sun it was before. It's not that he is less; it's that his experiences are more. He still laughs the same note, still smiles the same degree, but his heart beats a different tempo.

Riku has tasted the word 'humility' and learned it is not all sour. The thorns and burrs that once lined his heart have been plucked, the bleeding has stemmed, and the sharp edges of his mouth have been smoothed into hard-won smiles.

Princess is a loaded term, Kairi hardly ever feels like royalty when she's grounded in a world schoolhomeschool and the power of darkness only exists in fairytales. Nobody really notices how she holds her breath, dashes around gardens and refuses to look at white-washed roses anymore. She stays tight-lipped about the shudder that creeps along her spine when she's the last one in a classroom, chanting all the while to herself (to her other, never her nobody because to her Naminè was always more than that) that it's okay, it's okay thorns are only lifeless things in this world, nothing will hurt her anymore.

At night, when she's safe from her boys' prying eyes, Kairi huddles into the middle of her room. Away from the window, into the place where the moonlight is a pale thing and the shadows are still clawing shapes unable to touch her. It's in this grey area that Naminè comes to her, a pulse beneath her own, it's okay, her other (the pale light version of herself) whispers, it's okay the moon is a heartless thing in this world and its content to stay that way.

****

End Note: This drabble was written just for fun, several pieces came together on their own, mainly the bits about Kairi/Naminè, and the boys just kid of followed. This drabble tops out at 340 words.


	22. Letters Strung Together Form Meaning

**Letters Strung Together Form Meaning**

_What didn't I do?_ Squall thinks as sharp pain lances across his face. _What didn't I do right?_ He can see the little ninja girl, just barely, dodging and weaving off to his left. She's a better fighter than he had given her credit for, another mistake on his part. There were so few of them though; the little girl, Tifa, Cloud, and himself and there were so many of the shadows.

Overhead the sky gave way with a great cracking noise. The ninja girl screamed something about dramatics and the sudden deluge of rain helps clear his vision enough to block a sharp swipe of claws. He hears the wind, howling and tugging him bodily forward.

_Squall,_ he thinks (even though he knows this is no time to wax poetic) _this is a squall, this is what I am_. He screams with the next downward swing of his gunblade, the noise mingling effortlessly with the wind.

In the end, he is a failure. His name is not his own anymore and he spends too much time contemplating his fate in the bathroom (with the noisy little ninja, _Yuffie_, beating on the door and demanding he stop primping).

There's a storm in Traverse Town; the sky a dark, living thing. Nobody knows how many worlds have gone out, only that the number of refugees has tripled in the gloom.

_No more, no more, no more_ that young part of himself cries. The part that once claimed a destructive name. He's reached a decision, feels it in his bones, in his heart.

"Damn it, get _out_ of the bathroom already Squall!" Yuffie shrieks even as he's twisting the knob and leveling her with a glare.

"That's Leon."

******

End Note: This drabble was originally written for the lj community kh_drabble, challenge 206 "Storm". It tops out at 287 words.


	23. Beyond the Threshold

**Beyond the Threshold**

_Kairi, what was your home like?_

Doors, doors, endless halls of doors. Every color you could ever imagine, and they thrummed with untold energy that little Kairi could never understand. "You must never open a door unless you know where it leads," her grandmother had warned.

_I don't remember._

Lies, lies, all lies. It was so much easier not to think of those places while she was here; the island sun casting out all shadows and the ocean playing a melody at her feet. Helping sooth her memories, helping her forget.

Corridors that went on forever, lined on either side by silent soldiers called doors. Down a flight of stairs that echoed, made her feel like she were being followed by a stampede, through the rabbit hole and into something called a laboratory.

_Nothing at all? _

Cold, calculating amber eyes studying her from the other side of the room. "Hello little princess," nothing kind in that empty voice, "you look like you have a strong heart."

A handful of people, assistants, standing by and merely watching.

_No, nothing._

"Why don't you walk with me little one? I have something I'd like to show you," and a door opened onto a great expanse of nothing.

****

End Note: This drabble was originally written for the lj community kh_drabble, prompt 208, "Doors". It tops out at 200 words.


	24. Life is a Song

**Life is a Song**

Selphie pressed a hand against the window pane, smiling at the webbing of frost that covered everything outside. Freezes were rare on the island, and she was fairly sure it would be melted by noon, which made her happy she had managed to crawl out of bed before the alarm went off. She rested a hand against the swell of her belly and whispered, "you're going to be special, this is a sign."

Time was slipping by though, and she knew better than anyone how reticent her husband could be to get up in the morning. She waddled back towards their bedroom, stopping to set a picture frame right. Selphie couldn't help but smile at all the memories staring back at her. Pictures from when they were both young, all their friends lined up on either side, snapshots from Sora and Kairi's wedding, candids from their own happy day. It seemed strange to count herself as a "grown up" and "married" but it meant happy things.

She rubbed her belly again, "I hope you look just like your father, even if you're a girl. He's definitely the pretty one in the relationship."

There was a vague human shaped lump hiding under a mound of blankets. Selphie giggled at the ridiculousness of it all. "Honey," she sing-songed, "it's time to get up now."

"Mmph." Came the blanket-shaped reply.

"We're supposed to meet Sora and Kairi for shopping." She sat down on the edge of the bed, prodding the lump lightly.

"Don't wanna," he groaned, voice still thick with sleep, "it's too _cold_ outside." He managed to slip a hand out of his cocoon, pat around the bed a bit before finally finding Selphie's hand, and tugged her to lay down next to him.

"Riku." She tried to sound stern, really she did, it was hard with him cuddling her neck and making ridiculous purring noises.

"This is a _much_ better way to spend a day like today."

Selphie sighed, trying to push him off, "we have _plans_." she reminded, not even fighting the smile anymore.

Riku sat up, smirking in his decidedly Riku-way, "I say we put it to a vote." He slipped down her body until his ear was pressed against her stomach. "Hey, baby," he whispered, "it's cold outside. What do you say we stay in here? Your Uncle Sora and Aunt Kairi can wait, right?"

He leaned back, looked at Selphie with a flat look. "Sorry hun, you've been outvoted," and promptly wrapped an arm around her and resumed the cuddle position.

Selphie accepted it all with a giggle, "fine, but only for a bit. Then we _are_ going shopping."

****

End Note: First of all, how many of you saw that coming? Second of all, this was written for the lj community kh_drabble, challenge 210 "It's cold outside". This drabble tops out at 442 words.


	25. The Shadow of the Father

**The Shadow of the Father**

Their breath always catches in the same manner. "Oh Riku, she looks _just_ like you." Which isn't entirely true, he knows that. The shape of her face echoes Selphie's, hair shares the same awkward curl as his wife's even if the silver-blond is reminiscent of his own. It's the rest of her (eyes, mouth, tilt of the head) that belongs to him.

"Just how I hoped she'd be," Selphie giggles as she holds their baby close against her.

He's fine with all these physical similarities, even if it is strange to stare back at himself in such a tiny porcelain face. Riku sends quiet wishes (in the form of hugs and kisses) to his baby that she'll have her mommy's personality.

She doesn't, not really, not enough to quell the fear in Riku's heart. He watches as she breaks away from a game of tag and just _stares_ with an angry kind of intensity at the ocean.

"What's out there?" she asks one day, when she's barely five.

_Nothing, everything, heartbreak, hurt, pain, adventure, the universe_ Riku can't think of any answer that will keep her close.

She's eight and babbling about the secret spot, "all these cool chalk drawings, you should _see_ them Daddy and this _door_-" her words come to an abrupt halt when Riku drops a glass (it shatters, like so many other things he's touched) and turns to her with a panicked look on his face.

"You must never, ever go near that door." It's his serious voice and once she would obediently nod her head, say okay, and that would be the end of it.

Not today. "Why not?" Her face twists into that painful place between rebellion and being the Good child.

_There's darkness there baby, and it'll eat you alive_ but he can't explain that, can't come up with a reason to her question. "It's dangerous in there, you could get hurt." he finishes lamely.

That fire doesn't leave her eyes, Riku's lost her to the same path he once walked. He prays to the stars that she's smarter, kinder, faster, than her father was.

****

End Note: This is a follow up to the previous drabble in this series "Life is a Song". No that you have to read one to get the other though. This was originally written for the lj comm kh_drabble, challenge 213 "Anticipation". this drabble tops out at 351 words.


	26. All that Matters is Tomorrow, Today

**All that Matters (is Tomorrow, Today) **

_If you believe in death you're certain to die.  
If you believe in love you're always alive._--Our Lady Peace "The End is Where We Begin"

----

This had been a land of smiles, once. Maybe not from _him_ necessarily, even back then Squall had never been well-known for his laughter. Still, this had been a place full of light. If he tried hard enough, he could even remember how everything had looked.

There was the field where Cloud and he had trained, as cadets. He thought of how the blond had looked, back then. Eyes still shining with humanity and hope, they would bump shoulders playfully after a hard sparring match. It was impossible to overlay the somber adult with that bright youth.

That twisted rebar had been a playground, once. Aerith was always hiding in the maze of childhood dreams, tending to a little field of flowers growing at the edges. If he closed his eyes he could still see her as she was, young and covered in dirt. In the here and now Leon heard her quick intake of breath as she surveyed the damage.

Over there was that stupid tree Yuffie used to hide in. He remembered many an afternoon, finding himself pinned to the ground via tiny shurikens embedded in the cuff of his jeans. Her bright, Cheshire cat grin and she cackled over her conquest. "Pinned ya!" she'd crow and laugh so hard she fell out of the tree.

Only rubble in the vague outline of their homes remained to mark their childhoods. Leon felt a weight on his chest as he thought of all the work they had ahead of them. So few had made it through the disaster wrought by the darkness, he faltered for a moment, wondering if it was even worth it.

Somewhere to his right, Yuffie let out a low whistle. "This is some kind of mess." Her voice was unbothered by the damage, a confident smile lighting her face. She picked her way over to him, carefully, until she was by his side.

"It could be worse though, right?" She took his hand in hers, tugging him until he was forced to move. They stumbled over the disaster, rising higher and higher over the town until Yuffie finally turned them to face what they had just mounted. There were a handful of buildings still mostly intact, small places that Leon had overlooked in his assessment of the damage. He watched silently as people moved about, some were bandaging others, some were passing out food and blankets, all smiled with some semblance of hope.

"We might not have much, but we can work with this." She squeezed his hand affectionately, turning the full force of her smile at him. "Right, Squall?"

Leon felt something at the edges of his mouth curl. "Right," he bumped at her shoulder playfully, "and that's _Leon_."

****

End Note: This drabble was originally written for the kh_drabble comm over at lj, challenge 215 "The End (is the Beginning) which immediately made me think of the Our Lady Peace song with a similar title. This drabble was heavily influenced by that song. This challenge was the week of the Haiti disaster, and we were encouraged to try and link our drabbles to that experience. This drabble tops out at 455 words.


	27. The Kissing Booth

**The Kissing Booth**

----

Leon was not happy, not like this was a particularly new occurrence. He glared at the general direction of the main gates. It was one his best glares, really, very multipurpose. It could represent anything between "I'm feeling constipated today" to "the world is ending and I don't give a shit." Today his glare meant, "there's a little ninja I want to decapitate."

"Whoa Squall, I think you might have brought in more munny than Cid's dunking booth." Speak of the pixie-ish devil and there she shall arrive, hefting one of the various jars full of munny that adorned Leon's booth.

This may have distracted him from his earlier ire, but only enough to take a small detour in the conversation. "Wait, Cid was running a dunking booth?"

"Nah, Cid _was_ the dunking booth. That old man has an amazing ability to rile people up. The best part was when he'd get them so mad they completely missed the target and paid tons of munny for more chances! Getting to watch his crotchety ass almost drown a billion times today was an added bonus for myself, of course."

She grinned good-naturedly, scooting herself onto the surface of the booth. "So, didja have fun today?"

Which brought about the aforementioned ire, aka seething wrath and rage. "You failed to mention the exact context of _how_ I'd be collecting munny." said Leon, letting his dead-pan manner speak for itself, which may or may not have been kind of an oxymoron.

This did nothing to deter Yuffie's sun-bright smile. "Oh, did I?"

"You said, and I quote 'all you have to do is sit at a booth and collect munny'. I assumed this meant _ticket_ booth. Not," he paused to sweep his arms out wide, "this...kissing booth."

"So you didn't have fun?" her grin was, if possible, spreading wider.

Leon paused for a moment, debating whether he really wanted to release this information. Then he decided, to hell with it, after that incident some part of his soul cried for comfort. "Miss Finster tried to french me. Something about kissing booths back in her day and getting her munny worth."

His indignation (and ripped shirt, no he does not want to talk about it) was almost worth the sound of Yuffie's laughter. Leon sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose in a mockery of annoyance. He was pretty sure Yuffie saw through it, but she didn't call him on it, which was appreciated. "_Why_ did I agree to this again?" he grumbled, more for show than anything.

She jumped from her seat, spinning in a lazy circle. "Because a, you're too sweet to not pitch in on something that helps the Restoration Committee out. Do you _know_ how much munny this little fair raised today? And b, because you can't say no to my hotness." Yuffie made some awkward movement that Leon could only guess was meant to be taken as "hot".

"Right, how could I forget?" He can feel the whisper of a smile begin to overtake him. It's an unconscious reaction, something only Yuffie seems to stir in him.

She drops a handful of loose munny into the jar. "And now to do my part to help out!"

****

End Note: This drabble was originally written for the Kissing booth meme over at livejournal. The only actual prompt was Leon/Yuffie and a kiss.


	28. The Real Reason Princesses Get Everythin

**The Real Reason Princesses Get Everything**

----

The beach was looking particularly sparkly today. So sparkly, in fact, that it caused both Riku and Sora to pause in concern.

Well.... it caused Riku to pause in concern, it caused Sora to pause in a sudden display of his attention defecit disorder.

"Did someone murder a Cullen?" Sora asked, fisting a handful of the bespeckled sand.

"The real question is, why didn't they let us join in the fun?" The sand wasn't nearly as amusing to Riku, he stared dispassionately out at the ocean because that's what he did.

Until the Big Shiny caught his eye. "Hey Scooby, let's go see what that is." They ran across the beach, Riku noting absently that the sparkles continued along the length of it. Leading right to the Big Shiny.

A form sat, hunched under the bridge. Even in the shadows it sparkled magnificently.

"New heartless?" Sora whispered, keyblade already blazing to life in his hand.

Riku shook his head, "I doubt it, heartless lately have been flamboyantly colorful. That thing is just...distractingly glittery."

The Big Shiny lifted its head and it was Kairi's eyes glaring at them. "What are you looking at?" She snapped.

"What're you _wearing_?" Riku and Sora asked simultaneously.

"I had that stupid princess thing at Disney Castle today, remember?"

The look on their faces clearly said they did not remember.

Kairi sighed, "Queen Minnie invited all the Princess of Heart to some...thing" she waved her hand in a dismissive way, "and it was decided that I didn't have an appropriate dress and oh! look, how _convenient_ this is just my size! Why of course I should wear it! Of course I should keep it! that was a _logical_ point to reach, wasn't it?" She had her Scary Face (patent pending) on.

The dress in question (and the Source of All Sparklies) was a pretty blue-grey color, full skirt, puffy sleeves coming just off the shoulder and had more sequins on it than was necessarily healthy. When she stood they realized the front was bedazzled with several large, gaudy, gemstones of various blue hues.

"You look like a princess doll." Sora added helpfully, and he might have been hiding behind Riku only a _little_.

"You look like you were dressed by a Cullen." added Riku, feeling smug.

Who would have thought Kairi could leap quite that high in that ridiculous outfit? Or that Riku could swallow so much tulle?

It was three days later, Riku still picking glitter out of awkward places, that Selphie approached (read, bullied) him to sign up for some new festival or another. He inhaled to decline, he still had his masculinity after all, when someone's elbow (read, Kairi's) found his solar plexus.

He coughed and a great cloud of glitter spewed from his mouth.

How had THAT gotten in there?

"See Selphie, Riku's already helping decorate! He's just so shy and wanted it to be a surprise." Kairi patted his arm in what looked like a soothing manner, but really was code for _insult me again and next time there will be permanent damage_.

****

End Note: This silly little drabble was written at like, 3 am due to a ridiculous conversation a friend and I had over AIM about the bedazzled versions of the Disney Princess dresses. And what may or may not happen if Disney had been responsible for Kairi's design. I'm sorry for picking on the Cullens, I actually _did_ enjoy the Twilight series, so any teasing featured here is in good jest.


	29. The Game at Hand

**Game at Hand**

----

The deck of cards sat between them on the table, dangerously low. Xigbar wasn't going to have many more options to finally unseat Luxord's winning streak. He eyed his cards nervously.

"Your move Xigbar." Luxord reclined in his chair, perfectly at ease, perfectly assured.

Smug bastard.

Xigbar took a deep breath, "got any fives?"

Luxord scanned his hand for a moment, smirked to himself, "go fish."

The dark haired Nobody sighed, pulling a card from the deck. He grinned, matching the seven he just pulled with the seven he had sitting in his hand.

It was only when he put it in his pairs pile that he realized his fatal flaw.

"You will pardon me, Xigbar, if I question where one of those sevens come from?" Luxord was leaning across the table now, eyes glinting dangerously, "As it was my last turn that I inquired after a seven. And you said no. And I went fishing."

One day, Xigbar would learn not to try and cheat against Luxord, no matter what the game. That day, however was not today.

A deal was a deal though, and Xigbar swallowed what remained of his pride to carry out his penalty.

It's kind of hard facing Saix in your underwear. "Number two, may I inquire what happened to your clothes?"

Xigbar sent a half hearted glare at Luxord. "Not really."

Saix handed him a slip of paper, his mission specs for the day. "Just know the Organization is not going to give you extra potions if you get a sunburn."

Recon in Agrabah. Just his luck.

****

End Note: This drabble was written for a little drabble meme over at livejournal. I was given the characters and had to write something based on them. This was my first time writing either of them!


	30. Swim This Way

Swim This Way

----

When Riku arrived to the island he found Kairi and Sora sitting up by the paopu tree. Actually, he found Kairi sitting by the tree and Sora standing on the edge of the islet pretending to do some complicated math equation.

"Dare I ask?"

Kairi smiled up at him (it was only then that he realized she was repacking a first aid kit), "Sora discovered that he still has certain abilities from his trip. He spent half the morning convinced he could Mermaid kick his way up the waterfall."

"How'd that go?" To answer his question, Sora turned around. His head was heavily bandaged.

"The back of the waterfall is not flat stone." was Sora's cryptic reply.

Riku took a seat next to Kairi, trying his best not to laugh. "So what's he doing now?"

"Now, he's convinced he can Superglide all the way to the mainland."

Riku looked out at the sea, there in the far, far distance was a shadowy blur against the sunset. "That's... kind of far Sora."

His friend waved him off, "I've totally got this! See, if I take a running jump at this angle..." Sora proceeded to wave his arms and throw around big words that Riku was ninety five percent sure he was misusing.

Then, he proceeded to put his theory to the test.

"He actually might make it," Kairi conceeded, moments before Sora's form wobbled in midair and went splashing into the ocean.

"Or not," added Riku. Ever helpful.

Sora waved (they assumed, it was hard to tell. He really did make it a good ways out), "I got this!" and proceeded to start Mermaid Kicking his way back to them.

Which lasted a grand total of five minutes before he stopped with a cry, "cramp!"

Riku facepalmed, "I'll get the boat."

Sora was doing an impressive job of keeping himself from getting dragged farther out to sea. "That did not go as planned," he admitted as Kairi and Riku dragged him into the boat.

"What else is new?" Riku asked, paddling them back towards the island.

"Oh Sora, what would you do without us around?" Kairi tried her best to help wring out the excess water from his clothes.

"Drown, probably." came the swift answer. He grinned, unabashedly, at his friends. "Say, I bet if I climbed one of those palm trees I could go farther. Maybe even the whole way!"

Kairi helped Riku tip Sora back into the water. They were insight of the islet now, so they left him flailing right where he fell.

It's what friends were for, after all.

****

End Note: This silly little bit was written for the drabble meme over at lj, I was given the characters of Sora, Kairi, and Riku and let loose to wreck mayhem from there.


	31. All We Know is Distance

**All We Know is Distance**

The sky in Twilight Town is a constant myriad of colors. It's pretty when you're new to the town, but after living there your whole life it becomes just part of the backdrop to your memories. Olette passes the ice-cream out, a smile lighting her face the entire time. This is her favorite part of the day, when they wrap things up at the clock tower. She can't help the stream of laughter bubbling out of her anymore than she can resist kicking her feet against the bricks of the tower.

Hayner and Pence chat idly about the upcoming Struggle tournament, who they think will enter, who actually has a shot and who should call it quits while they're ahead. Olette leans forward, trying to look at the spot just past Hayner, a question already half formed on her lips. She remembers, seconds too late, that it's just the three of them.

It's always been just the three of them. This fact sits like a stone in the base of her heart. Olette knows, in the deepest part of herself, that there should be someone else there. If she squints hard enough she thinks she can almost see him, a boy their age with ruffled blond hair.

The ice-cream slips out of her hand before she realizes what's happened, she watches, mesmerized, as it falls end over end before splatting to the ground which suddenly seems so dangerously far away.

They don't go back to the clock tower for ice-cream after that. Olette knows it's her fault, for being clumsy. They're all scared that it might be one of _them_ next time instead of just silly ice-cream.

Their treat doesn't taste quite right when they eat it in their little clubhouse under the train tracks. She thinks it's too dark and dusty down there. The change of location doesn't stop Hayner and Pence's silly discussions though. She wonders if they miss being so high up like she does, having nothing but air beneath her feet, the shadow in her heart that says they were four, not three.

Eventually, they stop eating the ice-cream too. It's a gradual thing, the boys never say anything about it so she pretends not to mind too. Still, it leaves an empty kind of ache inside, as if she's abandoning a best friend.

They were only ever three.

----

End Note: This was actually a personal challenge. It started out as a drabble within the length of a song, whatever song appeared on my music player. This drabble was written to The Fray's "Where the Story Ends". This is actually the refined version of it xDD and tops out at 394 words.


	32. Close Encounter with the Fangirl Kind

**Close Encounters with the Fan-girl Kind  
**

There were a few facts to Kairi's life that she had become resigned to. Fact: her two best friends had the ability to act like a pair of four year olds (nobody was surprised to learn this about Sora, he _always_ acted like a little kid, and Riku was generally better at hiding everything with all that hair in his face). Fact: The second the bell rang to dismiss them from school there would already be some shenanigan planned for the afternoon. Fact: She usually got roped into said shenanigans.

Not that she had any qualms about spending time with her friends, but her homework had done an amazing job of piling up.

"I can't do my homework if I'm never _home_," she explained before sentencing the two of them to the other side of the cafeteria, "this is my only chance to catch up. So go away, you're distracting."

There was a resigned sigh from Riku, the wibble face from Sora but they left reluctantly.  
Alone at last with a notebook full of postulates and theorems. The joy of teenage life everywhere. Kairi set about her work dutifully, pencil in steady motion. _This isn't too bad_, she even managed to convince herself that this set-up could work.

"His eyes, mysterious glittering pools of aqua passion."

Or, not. Kairi's pencil froze where it was. She chanced a half glance over her shoulder, sure enough the Prince Riku (he hated that name) fan club had set up at the table directly behind her.

"No, no. His eyes are _green_," Chided one of the other members, a senior maybe? Kairi didn't want to think too hard about any of it. She could ignore them, it wasn't any of her business, they weren't _her_ problem.

"I thought they were blue," whined one of the underlings. There was a brief moment of chatter, the sound of shuffling papers and the cry of "consult the photographic evidence!"

Kairi couldn't resist, she _tried_, but this was getting too ridiculous. With a casual flick of her wrist she "dropped" her pencil.

There, on the table the fan club was occupying sat an enlarged print of Riku's face. Taken during a past lunch, if the fork poised halfway to his open mouth was anything to go by. The girls leaned over, inspecting his face intently with a magnifying glass.

"Blue!"

"Green!"

"Aqua!"

"Turquoise!"

"It has been decided then! Prince Riku's eyes are the color of love embodied!"

A round of cheers went up around the table. Kairi snorted loudly into her hands. The fan club finally noticed her, and turned on her with a vengeance. "It's _that_ girl," they stage-whispered, which seemed kind of silly to Kairi since she was standing _right_ in front of them.

She gave them a cheerful wave. This was, apparently, the wrong thing to do as the whispers dropped to angry hisses. One of the girls stepped forward, made some weird hand gesture over herself, and said "in the name of our prince, we banish you!"

----

When Kairi finally made it to the other side of the cafeteria, after stopping for a hearty laugh with Selphie, she made sure to punch Riku in the arm.

He didn't bother pretending she had hurt him. "what was that for?" he asked casually.

"That was for having stupid mysterious eyes."

Both boys gave her a look that suggested she had cracked her head at some point during the day. Then Sora nonchalantly changed the subject, "So hey, this afternoon I was thinking we could check out that creepy old house down by Star Street..."

*******

End Note: this drabble was originally written for kh_drabble's challenge "eyes" and tops out at 596.


	33. The Ease of Childhood

**The Ease of Childhood**

**

* * *

**

Eight-year-old Sora ran across the beach, a red towel flapping out behind him. He carried a multicolored bundle against his chest. "Riku! Kairi!"

They stared at him.

"What're you _wearing_?" Riku plucked at Sora's towel.

Sora jumped up, striking what he believed to be a dramatic pose. "I'm a superhero!" He passed out two more towels. "We're going to form a superhero _team_."

Riku stared at the yellow towel. "Except we don't have superpowers, stupid."

Sora produced a copy of a comic book. The title, in squiggly text that hurt Riku's eyes to look at, read _THE IMAGINEER_. He realized, belatedly, that Sora was still talking.

"--he uses the power of his _imagination_ to do things, so all we have to do is _believe_ and it'll happen, see?"

Kairi was perusing her towel. "Why do I have a pink cape? If I'm a superhero, I'm not gonna wear my favorite color. It'd be too easy for our arch-anenemo to find us."

They considered her words for about half a second before the mad frenzy to switch colors began.

A moment later Riku had Sora's red one, and Kairi the yellow one.

"Now what, genius?" Riku asked, testing everyone's "cape" to make sure they were secure.

Sora smiled. "Now, we fly."

"This? is a bad idea." Riku took a step backwards.

"No, it's only a bad idea if you don't _believe_." Sora stared down the cliff at the ocean, which _was_ a little farther away than he'd thought.

"I _believe_ it's a bad idea." Riku tugged at Kairi's hand, flicking his head back towards the path.

"I think Riku's right--" and they forcibly dragged Sora away from the edge.

"You guys are impossible," Sora groused.

The other two exchanged a look-- a look that was already part of their everyday lives: _he_ is _our best friend, we're only going to maim him a little bit for his stupid ideas, but more or less keep him alive, right?_

"Come on, Sora. I'm sure the Imagineer didn't get everything right at first; let's not break our necks today, okay?" Kairi smiled at him.

This seemed to perk Sora up, going into a sudden explanation about the Imagineer and issue forty-seven and trying to become a dolphin so he could breathe underwater. Riku had to talk over him.

"Are we doing this or not?"

They stood in a line on the bridge, all staring out at the open sea.

"Should we um, hold hands or something?" Kairi asked.

"That's a great idea! Then our imaginations can _combine_; we'll have better chances that way."

So all three clasped hands, counted to five, and took off towards the ocean.

Ten minutes later they were all flopped on the beach, trying to dry their clothes.

"I don't think we flew," Kairi admitted.

"If we did anything, we fell stylishly," Riku agreed.

"We just have to try it again," Sora argued. "Hey, maybe we _do_ need to get higher..."

They sat for a moment, Riku and Kairi contemplating if they could bury Sora in the sand without him being missed, when Sora turned towards them. "So hey, did you guys hear about that abandoned house?" At their nods, he went on, "Someone said they saw lights in there. Which means it's _not_ abandoned, or maybe a ghost! Wanna check it out?"

They all smiled with the ease of childhood. "Race you!" Kairi called, bolting from the sand.

Riku and Sora gave cries of outrage, called her a cheater, but were already close on her heels. None of them remembered they still had the capes tied around their necks.

* * *

End Note: Whoops, been a while huh? Sorry guys! Anyway, this was originally written for the lj community kh_drabble, challenge 219 "shenanigans" and tops out at 600 words even.


	34. Tainted Window

**Tainted Window**

**

* * *

**

She likes to imagine she's safe, back on the island where everything smells like ocean and sun. This is a constant world of warmth, so far removed from cold halls and the cloying scent of nothing.

Even the moon, hanging full and round outside her window served as a reminder that the danger is past, lost now to nightmares and bedtime stories.

Except for the nights when she wakes, shivering and sweating, to the figure staring down her bed; locked inside the tiny swatch of moonlight spilling across her floor.

"Go away," Kairi's tone is not angry, not scared, only weary.

He ignored her request as always. "You could have saved me."

"I tried," she argues weakly, padding across the room to stand in front of him.

He's not entirely here, flickering at the edges as clouds crawl across her moon.

"No," he says, "you pretended, you played my games well, but you did not truly attempt." He presses a phantom hand against her chest until the both become aware of the steady beat residing within, "you never gave me your heart."

He's gone on a breath, leaving Kairi cold and alone with nothing but moonlight.

* * *

End Note: In case I was too vague (which has been known to happen) Kairi is haunted by the memory of Saix. This drabble was originally written for the livejournal community kh_drabble, challenge 224 "Sublunar" and tops out at 184 words. Also, fun fact, it was completely written in my "notes" option on my iPhone xDD


	35. Beneath the Street Lamp

**Beneath the Street Lamp**

**

* * *

**

He can't remember much, when he finally wakes up. There's the lingering flash of swirling blackness, the echo of screams still scratching at the back of his mind, a voice calling out for _him_ to run run run, don't stop! He waits for a moment, desperately wishing the names and faces would bubble to the surface, anything to try and loosen the knot of panic in his heart.

There's nothing. Not his name, not the names of others, he can't even remember what his home is called. All he knows is the place he wakes up, Traverse Town, isn't it. The air tastes different, claustrophobia sets in as he tries to stumble out of the alley that has covered him.

Nothing rings of familiarity. He is a stranger in a strange place.

The man who runs the cafe in the First District offers him a place to stay, a hot meal, until he can find anyone else who survived from his home. He doesn't tell the man that he can't find people he can't remember.

When the man presses for his name, he gives him the first word that comes to mind. "Luz," he knows it's not right, but the soft light in the cafe makes him feel safe, and it makes the cafe owner feel visibly better to have something to call the boy.

Every day, he waits beneath the lamp post, hoping if there's anyone left that they'll find him there, recognize him, and be able to tell him who he really is. Of course, nobody ever comes to claim him and each day ends with a little more panic settling over his heart.

People _do_ visit him under his post on occasion though.

The tall man who prowls around the town, securing the borders, Leon or something. Leon asks him all the time who he's waiting for, and he won't respond because he _can't_. It's okay though, Leon seems to understand this, leans against the other side of the lamp post for a moment before giving his shoulder a rough pat and ambling off.

Then there's the self proclaimed ninja girl, who comes flitting by most afternoons to spin circles around him and babble aimlessly about things he can't begin to process. She's not bad company, but he won't speak to her either for fear of losing what little sense of self he has.

Aerith stops by occasionally, drops off a jacket for him when the days start turning cold, offers a thermos of warm drink and a friendly smile before slipping back through the doors to the other districts. Some days, he wants to follow her, fold into the little pocket of a family those people seemed to have formed together. Maybe it would be okay to be just Luz and start over...

He shakes it off, reminds himself that he can't be the only one left from There, and he can't give up now. Whoever he really is, he didn't make it this far just to call it quits. Someone, he tells himself, will come just like he did, and they will lock eyes and they will remember each other, and it will be okay.

He thinks maybe they've just forgotten for a little while too, like him. So in his heart he forgives them, and promises when he remembers them, he'll go look for them too.

It's all he can do, to survive.

* * *

End Note: In case I am too obscure (has been known to happen) this drabble is actually centered around that one NPC from the first game, that boy who looks startlingly like Tidus with darker hair? Anyway, this is was originally written for the livejournal community, kh_drabble challenge 226 "Survivor" and tops out at 572 words


	36. The Mystery of Destiny Islands

**The Myster of Destiny Islands**

**

* * *

**

They find Selphie crouched behind a bush, trying valiantly not to blink as she watches Sora's every move from some fifty yards away. There's a brief silent discussion between them about who's going to break her concentration and find out what's up. Tidus makes an awkward arm flail that roughly translates to _you're older_ and Wakka makes a desperate jab in his friends general direction that says _you have a long stick, poke her and we can be safe from any weird fangirling she's doing_. To which Tidus replies with a rude hand gesture that, in order to keep this PG, we'll say meant _I strongly dislike your opinion_.

Tidus does, in fact, give Selphie a gentle prod in the side while Wakka hides behind the younger boy. She gives a startled "eep", falls gracelessly to her butt and is left blinking at the boys for a moment.

"Whatcha doing?" Tidus asks, trying to keep the desperate edge of _please do not start squealing in your high pitched manner that you normally do when you're up to weird things like this_.

The look of wide eyed horror on Selphie's face makes both boys wish they had decided to do _anything_ else today.

"Sora," she says in a conspiratorial whisper, "caught fish."

It was, in hindsight, a bit rude to laugh that loudly at her. "We _do_ live on an island, this thing happens sometimes."

To Selphie's credit, she doesn't get up and pummel either one of them with her jumprope. "You don't understand, he didn't actually _catch_ them. He just kind of," she moves her hands as if trying to capture the right words, "stood there. When the fish got close enough he just walked over them and they _disappeared_."

This was intensely more interesting than previous thought. Tidus and Wakka take up post on either side of Selphie, all staring intently at Sora who was, at this moment, bashing a coconut tree. They watch, transfixed, as coconuts fall to the ground and Sora steps over them, disappearing them into who-knew-where.

There's a long moment of silence as the witnesses digest what they've just seen. Thoughts run abound, everything from _vacuum shoes?_ to _alien?_ and finally ending at _something is not right in Who-ville_.

Tidus and Wakka exchange a pale look of untold terror. "We need to leave," they agreed simultaneously. They each grab one of Selphie's arms and haul her away.

All three agree to never speak of the incident again.

* * *

End Note: This silly piece of redonk was originally written for the livejournal community, kh_drabble challenge 227 "Food" and tops out at 412. I make no defense for this piece! It's entirely possible that I'm the only one who ever wondered HOW Sora collected the fish/coconuts/mushrooms without actually doing anything. (and you're welcome, for any mental scarring this caused)


	37. Desire

**Desire**

**

* * *

**Aerith knows that Tifa is finally home for a visit by the tell-tale _thump thump thump_ careening down the staircase that's quickly followed by a not-completely-startled "eep" from the doorway. There's a momentary pause filled with a good natured sigh, and the buxom beauty comes waddling around the corner.

"Assist?" Tifa asks, bracing herself against the entrance to the kitchen. There was a Yuffie shaped lump clinging to her chest, arms and legs knotted around the woman's neck and hips. It's no secret that Tifa is exaggerating the lack of equilibrium, she could probably go out and fight a thousand heartless with Yuffie attached to her like that and never even know it.

Aerith considers the tickle attack for a moment, finally decides against it. Last time they tried to remove Yuffie by those means, she flailed so badly she managed to give herself a black eye.

"Yuffie, stop molesting Tifa."

Yuffie does that thing where she stares darkly over her shoulder. The effect is a bit lost thanks to her awkward pose, (Aerith finds it impossible to take baby monkeys even remotely serious) and says far too matter of factly, "I'm not molesting her. I'm absorbing some of her awesome boobage via osmosis. And besides, even if I _were_ molesting her, she'd like it." She immediately went back to nestling her head against Tifa's neck.

"I think she's purring," Tifa mouthed the words, looking a little alarmed.

Aerith couldn't help but think along the lines of _well, maybe that means it's working_.

"You're blocking the doorway." King-no-nonsense-Leon had finally arrived. He gave the jumble of limbs a cursory glance, exhaled a tiny breath that equaled a monumental Leon sigh of exasperation, and ran one finger along the ridges of Yuffie's spine.

She made a helpless little noise as her limbs unknoted and she slipped gracelessly to the floor. "Damn it Leon! You are interrupting my quest for a bodacious bod!" Just when she looked ready to pounce on Tifa again, the question was finally posed.

"Why are you so obsessed with suddenly developing breasts?"

Yuffie blinked, once, and then twice, as if gathering her words. "I'm tired of everyone thinking I'm twelve," she finally conceded with slumped shoulders.

"Grow your hair out?" Aerith suggested gently. Yuffie shoots that idea down quickly, and reminds them all about the time she _tried_ growing her hair out and everyone thought she was six instead.

It's Leon, of all people, who finally tugs on the string of logic to diffuse the situation (and thusly, allow Tifa to keep breathing as she normally does, which she enjoys. A lot.). He picks a spot on the ceiling to stare at, his back to the girls as he speaks. "If you had...more curves, you'd have even more difficulty getting through certain windows."

Yuffie's expression shifts to express untold loathing. "frecking windows." and she stalks off towards the living room, the subject dropped that easily.

Tifa is just about ready to profess her undying admiration of Leon's handling the situation, when Yuffie calls back from the other room, "you just like ogling the body of a twelve-year-old, shameless pervert Leon!"

* * *

End Note: This drabble was originally written (at 3 a.m. after no sleep, don't ask) for the lj community kh_drabble, challenge 229 "Favorite Body Part" and tops out at 524 words.


	38. Making Wishes

**Making Wishes **

**

* * *

**

"Kairi's missing!"

Selphie thinks Tidus and Wakke should look more surprised. She doesn't like the way they sigh, scratch the back of their heads and look away before saying; "Can't be helped, she must have gone after them." She can't understand why they aren't worried for their friends.

"Don't worry Selph, she'll bring them back." Wakka ruffles her hair, trying to be reassuring.  
She turns away, swallows the words threatening to overwhelm her. _but she didn't have to go alone, they're our friends too._

Some days, she waits at the street corner where Kairi usually meets her so they can walk together to school. She smiles at classmates as they run by, waving and assuring them that yes, she'll be along shortly. "I'm just waiting for a friend."

Some days, she waits so long that she's late for first hour. Kairi never comes.

All the waiting makes her nervous and gives her too much time to think of horrible things. What if Kairi never finds them? What if Kairi _does_ find them and they decide not to come home? Selphie makes herself sick with scenarios and at night dreams of her friends, traveling the stars on a raft.

She thinks maybe she'll try writing them all a letter, like Kairi did for Sora. Only she's not sure who to address it (or where) or what to say. "Kairi believed in the letter," she reminds herself, "I believe in wishes."

And she knows what to do.

Selphie gathers an old peanut butter jar, a coffee canister, emptied out jam jars that were laying around. She adds them all to a bag and hauls it out to the old island where they used to all play.

In her heart, she knows that when –because she can't allow herself to think if- they return, it'll be to this place where all their hearts grew together.

She positions herself against the paopu tree, settles her collection of jars and cans just beneath the trunk, and pulls out a handful of paper strips. She plucks one from the gathering, ties it carefully into a pentagon and folds the excess over the little shape before pinching each corner.

The legend says to make a thousand stars for a wish, but since her wish is so _big_ she's not sure if how many she should fold, so she decides she'll make stars until they're back.  
_Sora, Riku, Kairi_ she whispers with each slide of paper, _come home_.

Day in and day out, after school and the weekends; it's all Selphie can do. She's not sure how much time has passed since she started; only that she's helpless to stop until they're back.

She falls asleep one day, with the paopu tree warm against her back, a star half formed in her hands. She dreams that the beach is full of laughter again, that she can hear the sound of a star falling back towards heaven.

"Selphie, wake up."

Sora, Kairi, and Riku all stare down at her sharing similar looks of bemusement. She's so surprised that she jumps to her feet, knocking the jar of star in her lap to spill on the ground in a rainbow arc.

"You're here!" she cries, trying to throw her arms around all three of them at once. It doesn't quite work but there are arms there to catch her, to fold them within their circle of three. "I waited for so long and I thought maybe it wasn't working, but you're all _here_."

Riku picks up one of the fallen stars, turning it over carefully in his hand. "what is all this?"

"I made a wish," she says, smiling so wide her face hurts, "to bring you home."

* * *

End Note: this was originally written for lj community kh_drabble challenge [234] "Best Supporting Character" and tops out at 600 words.


	39. Bring Back the Sun

**Bring Back the Sun**

_

* * *

_

_Namine doesn't make it in time. Kairi is left to her own devices in the corner of her jail cell, having long since screamed herself hoarse every time her captor made an appearance. She will not allow herself to think of how tired she is, or about the various ways she aches and hurts, or about how _hungry_ she is. She only allows herself to keep a mantra, hoping beyond hope that Sora catches it._ It's a trap, it's a trap, it's a trap

_Only then Sora _does_ come tearing through the door, eyes wild and fierce. Before Kairi can so much as draw the breath for a warning, Saix is there with a hand tight around her throat and the hall is flooded with heartless._

Words are exchanged, sharp threats from one party, callous demands from the other. The keybearer is to finish Kingdom Hearts, or the Nobody will crush the girl's throat, simple as that. Sora doesn't like it; he fights, hacking his way through the horde of heartless.

It's only when his companions give a panic cry that the true severity of the situation is realized.

They're gone, leaving being their shield and staff respectively, in their places stand two more heartless.

The battle rages for what feels like hours (Kairi is still pinned by the hand at her neck, never relinquishing his bruising grip) and just when she thinks it's over, finally over and her friend is victorious she hears the guttered moan and Saix's face twists into a vicious sneer of triumph.

The keybearer is dead.

Or__

Namine does_ make it in time, and they escape hand in hand. Not far enough away to be truly safe, just out of immediate danger. Their footsteps echo tellingly behind them, and Kairi fears this will be their undoing. But there is no time for subterfuge, they have to get away _now_ and they can only hope for the best._

Saix is there, waiting for them again, as if he allowed this little escapade to happen. There's a dark edge to the bare curve of his smile, a patronizing and frightening expression.

'He will be the thing of nightmares.' Kairi thinks, not even realizing how she's foreshadowed her own existence for years to come.

The cloaked figure arrives, Riku in disguise as Kairi learns, and grapples with Saix. She remembers how strong he's always been, how he's overcome so much and her heart swells with love and hope.

It's understandably confusing, then, when Saix merely twists his opponent's neck to the side and the body falls solidly to the floor.

Dead, Riku is dead. 

Kairi wakes, her tongue clenched between her teeth to keep from screaming out. She's shaking and it takes her a long minute to recognize the shape of the moon. _I'm home_, she sits up carefully, turns in a tight circle so she's on her knees facing the two sleeping figures that flank either side of her.

Riku and Sora sleep too peacefully, she can't even follow the inhale exhale of their breathing. It's with unsteady hands that she leans forward; trailing fingers along the contours of their cheeks, across the line of their jaws, into the dip of their collarbones, to finally rest over their chests. Their heartbeats flutter against her touch, quiet testaments that ground Kairi into this reality.

She drifts back to sleep, with chin tucked against knees drawn to her chest, her palms flat against their steadying warmth.

There are no more nightmares tonight.

* * *

End Note: This drabble was originally written for livejourna's community "kh_drabble", challenge 234, Coping Strategy, and tops out at 586 words.


	40. Heart in Hand

**Heart in Hand**

* * *

Riku lets himself float to consciousness, languishing in the spill of early morning sun washing through the window behind him. The scent of breakfast is wafting through the house, distantly he can hear Kairi humming. He pulls himself fully into the waking world with a long stretch of his limbs until the joints pop.

There's a soft snore off to his left and Riku turns to see Sora, still sleeping with his mouth hanging slightly open. Riku can't help but smile a little, it's not the most attractive thing to wake up to but he wouldn't trade it for the world. His eyes are drawn to the exposed patch of Sora's chest, where a tight starburst scar lays.

He leans over and traces the edges of the raised skin, letting his mind wander back through the years. The old guilt wells up inside him, the scar serving as his personal reminder. If he had waited for his friends, if he hadn't opened the door, if he had believed Sora; so many things would have been different. But rainbows are made out of wishes, and in the end they're all together again. Riku's hand hovers at the center of the mark, feels the flutter of Sora's heart beneath his fingertips. He continues his personal penance when he leans forward, lips brushing against Sora's skin, and whispers "I'm sorry."

-

Kairi has never questioned Sora's devotion to her, it's something the other girls can't understand. But then again, there's so much about her life they don't grasp. How she can love two boys who also love each other, how they're all part of the others heart.

She knows she's loved. Riku gave himself to darkness to try and save her. And Sora...

He comes tripping out of the surf at her, clad only in swim trunks, and wraps her up in his arms. "Come play with us!"

She throws her head back, overcome with a gale of laughter. Her hand presses over the scar decorating his chest, reading his boundless love in the raised tissue like braille. Kairi kisses him on the cheek, a silent thank you for everything, and out loud she says "race you!"

-

Sora never feels like any task he's set is impossible. Yes, there are times when he feels overwhelmed, times he feels like he's scrambling for every handhold he manages to find. All it takes though, is a momentary touch to his chest and he remembers: if he is capable of punturing himself with a dark keyblade, then he's capable of doing whatever it takes to save everyone.

Sometimes, it just takes a little reminder.

* * *

End Note: Originally written for livejournal's community "kh_drabble", challenge 236 Memento. This drabble tops out at 439 words.


	41. The Scent of Home

**The Scent of Home**

* * *

Leon is a creature of Habits and Rules and Regulations. Leon patrols Traverse Town as if he alone keeps the darkness at bay. Up before the break of day, and never stopping to rest until well beyond the fall of night (on a few memorable occassions he came to rest on the couch just as the first pink streaks lit up the eastern sky). He has no room in his life for frivolity, no room for indulgence, or want.

Except...once in a while, Leon is not entirely Leon. When the day stretches into Days and more frighteningly, into a Week without proper rest, he finds himself wavering between the Past and the Now, between Squall and Leon. It's Aerith, who remembers the boy Squall, recognizes the softening edges at the corners of his existence and will coax him to the kitchen table with hot stew and a warm apple pie.

It's the smell of home, of a time when things were right and good and he could stare at a shadow without worrying about it staring back. SqualLeon treasures those moments when he remembers _why_ he's fighting so hard. He takes another bite and lets a little bit more of Squall wash over him.

* * *

This, very short, drabble was written for a meme over at my live journal, in which I asked for a character and a prompt and then delivered.


	42. Roxas and Olette

**Roxas and Olette**

* * *

She's the only one who sees through his half hearted (ha, apparently he doesn't _have_ one of those) attempts at acting normal. Which, really, isn't the least bit surprising.

Olette doesn't even bother knocking on his door, just stands there with hands fisted at her side and stares him down. "Alright Roxas, what's going on?" Her eyes flash green fire and send the silent message that she's not to be messed with this time.

Roxas thinks he'll miss her the most, when he's finally slipped off the deep end into completely Crazy. "Nothing," he argues weakly, "I just...haven't been feeling like myself lately."

Which, he realizes, might not be an entire lie since he's apparently _not_ even supposed to be himself, but he doesn't want to think of that because it just makes him feel tired and he's already tired all the time.

Her entire body sags a little, forgetting the order of Firm and Demanding, instead taking up Compassion and Comfort. She crosses his room in one, two, three, four long steps and seats herself at the edge of his bed. Olette takes his hand between hers, he realizes for the first time how thin her fingers are and the words that come slipping through her lips make him want to cry a little. "I'm your friend, Roxas. You can talk to me."

She smells like junipers and mint and Summer. He wonders why he hadn't realized this before, before it was too late and he was going to have to give her up soon and really, what time had he had to begin with? Olette's petting the back of his hand now, trailing one finger from wrist to knuckle to wrist again. He realizes this is her odd way of providing comfort, and it's _working_. He feels his own body relax and all his secrets crowd the edge of his teeth.

Roxas wonders if he still has enough time to do something ridiculous, like kiss her. He thinks the universe should owe him that much and he leans forward, tilts his head the tiniest bit to the side and

wakes up, head fuzzy and filled with images that aren't his, they belong to _Him_ and Roxas rises from the bed, blank eyed and chest empty.

For a moment, the reflection that stares back at him is not tangled blond locks, but a spikey halo of brunet hair.

(Later that day, when he finally makes it down to their Usual Spot, nobody can hear him and his hand passes completely through Hayner. He realizes he's past the point of too late now.)

* * *

This little drabble was written for a meme over at my livejournal account in which I asked for a character and a prompt. In this case, Roxas was the character and Olette was the prompt.


	43. Riku and Roxas

**Riku and Roxas**

* * *

There's a funny thing about having friends who are not entirely themselves. It's not so hard with Kairi, because Namine is just as sweet and kind and he only realizes they've switched when the girl laughs a little bit more breathlessly and her hair takes on a golden sheen under the red tones.

Sora and Roxas, on the other hand... sometimes Riku can't quite deal with the combo of them and he's left strangling the air, making nonsense noises like "Nnggh!" at the retreating back of his maybe-friend-maybe-not.

The thing with Roxas, he never really breaks the surface of Sora's persona, just sits right under his skin gnashing his teeth and picking fights. Some days it takes _hours_ of carefully squinting at Sora to discern if his friend is truly pissed at him, or if it's a Nobody lurking beneath the veneer of Sora's voice and expression. More often than not, it _is_ Roxas but that doesn't make the fights any easier to stop.

He learns though, that some days all Roxas wants is someone to verify his existence. So when he shoves Riku, hard enough to leave a palm shaped bruise, Riku doesn't hit back. He, instead, sucks in a breath through his teeth and let's the name loose like a prayer, "Roxas."

Then blue eyes are flashing and it's Sora, completely Sora, standing in front of him looking angry and looking confused about why he would look angry.

Other days, that's not the right way to react. Calling Roxas out on his actions only angers him further, makes him shove harder, makes that hand ball into a fist and Riku is dodging and weaving. On those days all he can do is fight back, not with fists because it's Sora that'll carry the bruises, but with words. Because Roxas isn't mad at _Riku_ he's mad at his situation, and that's one thing Riku can relate to. So he shouts and says nasty things and sometimes it's only half an hour, sometimes upward to three hours and he's gone hoarse but Roxas has stopped swinging, looks content and then nestles down into his Space in Sora's heart.

Some days, Riku wishes there was more he could do for the Nobody.

* * *

This little drabble was written for a meme over at my livejournal account in which I asked for a character and a prompt. In this case, Riku is the character and Roxas was the prompt.


	44. A Day Off

A Day Off

* * *

Another thing Riku doesn't like? Winter. Only, he doesn't find this out until _after_ he's agreed to go with Sora and Kairi on a vacation to visit a few of Sora's friends. One of which, has his own castle. One thing nobody took into consideration when piling suitcases into the back of a gummi ship? Change of seasons.

Thankfully, the former Beast has an alarmingly extensive wardrobe and invites the boys to take whatever they need to stay warm. Riku might be dressed a bit excessively, but at least he can still feel his fingers and toes and his nose. He glares vengefully at Sora, who is at current flopping around the snow and making more of a mess than angels.

"Come on Riku, it's fun!"

Riku makes a rude noise in response. It's pretty, he'll admit. It'd be prettier if he could view it with a mug of hot coffee on the other side of the frost encrusted windows.

When the first snowball hits him in the side of the head, he suddenly realizes how his cat felt when he was five and tried to bath the poor creature. It's cold and wet and it's in his hair, little clumps falling down the collar of his borrowed jacket and great gods it's a wet willie from _hell_ and he can't dig it out of his ear fast enough.

He glares daggers at Sora and Kairi who are standing some yards away with identical expressions of shock, as if neither one expected the snow to actually _connect_ with it's target. Then they're pointing fingers at each other in a classic "he did it" move before peeling off for parts unknown.

"That's _it_!" Riku scoops up a handful of snow, intensely glad he grabbed those oversized gloves now, patted it quickly and went off in search of his prey.

It's hours later before he remembers he's supposed to be shivering and cold and miserable, but the run around the gardens has warmed him up and all the laughing has left him a little breathless and really, so _what_ if his hair's soping wet? Belle is already clucking over the three of them and ushering them off to baths to warm their bodies the way the snow has done their spirits.

It doesn't mean he likes winter though, just that it's marginally tolerable in small doses.

* * *

This drabble was written for a meme over at my livejournal in which I asked for a character and a prompt.


	45. Brilliance

**Brilliance**

* * *

_Those who know me, know me well, those who don't can go to hell._ it's a silly little line, one that she's almost ninety nine percent positive she picked up from Yuffie on her last trip through the Garden. Still, Tifa thinks there might be a bit of truth hiding in juvenile rhyme. It certainly seems to be proving true as she's forced to, once again, dislocate a man's arm.

"If you haven't seen anyone by that description, I'll be on my way." She thinks, for a moment, about suggesting the added benefits of keeping ones hands to oneself, but the way the man is whining she thinks this might be a lesson he'll remember.

He waits, like the coward he is, until she's some handful of yards away before shouting; "he must be pretty good in the sack for you to chase after him like this!"

The old anger flares at the assumption, she quells it, repeats the ridiculous line in the sanctity of her own head and finds it does help. The stranger has nothing to offer her, she owes him no explanation.

She wishes it was that easy, that all it took was ignoring one dumb-ass and the rest of her travels would go like hot butter. Instead she's facing skeptical look after skeptical look, normally followed up by some line similar to "this is an awful lot of trouble to go through, for just a friend."

The line leaves her a little breathless and confused. It hurts her to think of so many people unwilling to put themselves out for the sake of a loved one. She thinks back to their friends at Radiant Garden, to Yuffie who watched her father die and Squall who lost himself in a way so different from Cloud, to Aerith who still misses her dark haired hero. There's no question in her heart about going to such extravagant lengths for any of them, and knows that if it came down to it, they'd be there for her.

So she turns away from these naysayers, with their accusing eyes and closed off hearts and forges the path forward by herself. After all, her friend is out there somewhere, and he needs her.

* * *

This little drabble was written for a meme over at my livejournal in which I asked for a character and a prompt. In this case the person didn't give me a prompt, but gave me the option of writing FF VII or KH Tifa. I went with KH and focused on her reasons for chasing after Cloud the way she does.


	46. It's Only Funny the First Time

**It's only funny the first time**

Um...you're getting an opening note here. Because I'm mentally five and there's lots of innuendos floating about. Sora is, in fact, playing with those Chinese Health Balls, in case there were any questions.

* * *

The sound is melodious, a little soothing, and ultimately after two hours, a little annoying. "Sora, what _are_ you playing with?"

He grins, twitches his fingers so the bells chime again. "My balls."

If Riku were any other teenage boy he'd probably snort in laughter at this. Since, however, he is Riku he just stares in dismay at the person he claims as his best friend. "What?"

Sora holds the objects up for inspection. They're very prettily decorated and the sound seems to be coming from inside them. "Mulan gave them to me last time I visited, said they'd be good for stress."

"For causing stress?"

"Relieving stress, I think."

"Sora, you are probably the least stressed person in the entire world."

Sora shrugged, not arguing. "I have a good system, which includes playing with my balls."

Kairi cleared her throat from behind them, "I think I'll be leaving now." She did a hasty about face and walked back the way she had just come.

Sora makes several inarticulate noises before finally blurting out "but you just came!"

Now Riku does laugh, slaps Sora on the back and says "oh yes, you have a _great_ system."


	47. School Daze

**School Daze**

* * *

School is a nice, simple matter of repetition. Wake up, grab breakfast, wait at the street corner for Hayner and Olette, start classes, break for lunch, finish classes, go to their Usual Spot for an hour or so, home for dinner, shower, and bed.

It's been like that for as long as Pence can remember, the only variation coming in the form of the weather. Do they need their umbrellas today? Is it cold enough for a jacket? That's okay though, Pence kind of likes knowing where he fits into the grand scheme of things.

Still, this year he can't help but feel a little off balance. Like something has irreparably been changed and he can't figure out _what_. It all starts innocuously enough, Olette comes to the lunch table with one too many ice creams. They all stare at the extra like it's a sudden, unexpected growth and none of them know what to do with it.

Olette gives a breathy little laugh, says the lady at the cart must have given her one too many, and pawns it off on the first person to walk by. They all smile tensely at each other, feeling in their heart of hearts that this is the beginning of what's wrong.

It gets worse.

One night Pence is doing a book report, the boring kind that's demanding research and explanations and his brain has turned to so much mush. He reaches for his phone, dials a number without really thinking about it (he's still flipping through the Cliffnotes to Macbeth) and is startled when an unfamiliar woman answers "hello?"

He hangs up, staring at the treacherous phone, wondering who he just called.

When he goes to turn in the summer homework, he finds a discrepancy in the first paragraph "the four of us investigated the seven wonders of Twilight Town." four, there were never four, only three. There is no magic in four, he doesn't know who he was thinking of when he wrote it but it gives him the chills and he whites it out hastily.

School drags by, the farther they get from the heat and open days of Summer, the less often the strange things occur. Eventually, he stops thinking of non-magic fours and stolen words and ice cream on top of the clock tower.

* * *

This drabble was written for a meme over at my livejournal account in which I asked for a character and a prompt.


	48. Painting the Riku White

**Painting the Riku White**

**

* * *

**

Riku had developed a rather nasty ability to block Sora out whenever he started in on his 'epic plans of epic'. Part of him reasoned that it was a self defense mechanism, by not listening to his friend he wasn't tempted to strangle him therefore keeping himself out of jail. The rest of him believed it was some sort of deep seeded masochism, since he normally didn't realize he wasn't paying attention until the hair-brained idea was underway.

Like today, for instance. Riku found himself blinking at Sora, who was currently holding a paintbrush that had been dabbed with some sort of white make-up. This did not bode well as said paintbrush was heading directly for Riku's face.

"So. For the sake of having something to discuss with my therapist, what exactly are we doing again?" He twisted away, getting jabbed by the brush on the ear.

Sora frowned at him, completely unbothered by Kairi who was carefully clipping what looked like large plastic petals into his hair. "We are going to infiltrate the garden." He spoke slowly, as if talking to a little kid with head trauma.

"And that requires the get-up?"

The frown deepened. "They're talking flowers, Riku, and they're a little vicious."

"Then _why_ are we willingly getting within their grasps?"

Now came the arm flail as Sora jabbed in the general direction of the garden. "There's a treasure chest in there! The lunatic plants think it's some sort of seed and won't fork it over! Thus we sneak around back, make it look like we _belong_ there, grab the chest and run like mad."

Riku guessed he could see the logic in that, or the Aquanet currently being sprayed all over his hair was messing with his brain. "Why am I sporting an afro?"

"You're a dandelion, Riku. Work with me."

"Sora, there are dandelions in there. I can see them from here. they're not going to buy this."

Sora sighed, brandishing the can of hair spray in a dangerous manner. "Fine then. You're a dande_tiger_. Use your friggen imagination."

"One more question," Sora gave him a very dirty look, "ok. two more questions. Why are we wearing green dresses and how come Kairi isn't joining us for these shenanigans?"

"It's your stem. You can't be a flower in jeans." Sora passed off a pair of green gloves that had fabric leaves glued to the backs.

"And I'm still participating," Kairi held up a camcorder, "someone has to get this on tape or else how will you two become overnight internet sensations?"

Riku felt his left eye twitch. That was probably a bad sign, he probably needed nerve pills after that. He made a mental note to discuss it with his therapist.

"Alright, here we go!" Sora grabbed his hand (leave? No. he refused to think of himself as a plant, bad mental signs) and they skirted around the little alcove that made the garden to come at it from behind.

Half an hour later found them, sitting around the open treasure chest as Kairi carefully removed thorns from their backs.

"A potion." Sora dead-panned, "all that work for a potion. Not even a hi-potion, just a regular one. I've had energy drinks that work better than potions."

Riku, who was busy trying to wipe his face clear of mud and make-up, couldn't help but mumble "I feel like there's a moral here."

"You mean like, _curiousity killed the cat?_" Kairi asked, wincing sympathetically when Sora whimpered about a particularly deep thorn.

"No," said Riku, "like _never let Sora design costumes because he sucks_."

And lucky for him, Sora was still too riddled with pokey bits for him to punch Riku.

* * *

End note: Originally written for this week's challenge at livejournal's kh_drabble challenge "disguise". Tops out at 600 words and is a little cracky 3


	49. Murphy's Law

**Murphy's Law**

**Warning: **Very coarse language in this piece, it _is _written about Cid and I did my best to keep it as inoffensive as possible, but there is still strong language in this. If that makes you feel uncomfortable then it is, perhaps, best that you do not read this particular drabble.

* * *

As if being the resident mechanic, computer technician, airship pilot, weekend cook and sometimes weekday depending on what Aerith is concocting; as if all that isn't enough they expect Cid to do fucking _home_ repairs too.

Oh, and of _course_ it has to be the damn air-conditioner going out on what is probably the hottest damn day of the year. The air conditioner with all the touchable bits nestled in a stupid little back alcove all by its lonesome because God or Merlin or whoever the fuck designed this house _sucks_ and there's not nearly enough lighting over here so he's forced to bite down on a pen light just so he doesn't get his hand wedged someplace it doesn't belong.

"He can carry around his entire damn house in a bag, but it's too complicated to add a _light_ to his hallway." He makes sure his voice carries where Merlin is undoubtedly hiding around the corner, it's his small satisfaction for the dark task he has been set.

There's a tiny weight at his shoulder, one of the fairies he thinks. Rikku, if he can bother to prod his memory beyond schematics and blue prints and lines of computer coding, which he can't and prefers to think of the collective trio as "pain in the ass" singularity simplifies things.

"Geez louis, it's _hot_ in here," she whines even as she dances across his back to his other side. "Aren't you supposed to be the smart one?" She gives a sharp yank at Cid's earlobe to make sure he's listening.

It takes all his restraint not to throw a wrench at her. "Ain't you supposed to be elsewhere?" He makes a quick mental note to watch his language, damn little sprite's as bad as Yuffie and it's too hot to listen to Aerith complain about corrupting youth.

"Nope!" Rikku chirps, sliding through the air until she's hanging upside down in his face. "Aerith sent me to check on you, see if you needed anything, you know lemonade" Rikku pretends not to see Cid shudder, "a washcloth or something?"

He blinks sweat out of his eyes, "nothing, so _git_."

"Are you sure? Because it _is_ hot and you're kinda sweaty...a lot actually."

Cid thinks he deserves an award, or at the very least a damn day off for the way he carefully plucks Rikku from the air before tossing her towards the kitchen. "Shaddup and get out of here."

She spins a few feet down the hall before finally getting her feet beneath her (she's fucking _flying_ does it matter?) and blows a rude raspberry at Cid's back, shrilly crying something abut stupid sweaty old men before buzzing off.

Finally, alone with his penlight and his hulking headache, Cid thinks he might finally have the problem solved if this one damn coil is anything to judge by. He's just settling on what tools he'll need to finish the job when Rikku comes streaking back around the corner, squealing loudly.

"Don't fix it! Don't fix it!" She starts pulling at his hair and he can feel her tiny feet kicking him in the temple which really _hurts_.

"Ow! Fuck, _ow!_ Why the hell not?"

"_Leon_," she gasps, fluttering down to Cid's shoulder and isn't that exactly where she began "is running around shirtless. Please, if you have a kind bone in your body, please don't fix the air conditioner?" She bats her little eyes at him and flashes a winning smile.

Cid has the air conditioner fixed in record time and keeps the thermostat knocked down so low everyone is forced to wear their sweaters inside.

* * *

End Note: Originally written for the lj comm kh_drabble challenge 248 "dog days". Tops out at 600 words (and also won the challenge 3)


	50. And Nothing Nice

**And Nothing Nice**

* * *

Larxene comes across the little boy a mile or so outside of the town. He's hugging his knee and crying - tears and snot drip in long streams down his face - and making a terrible noise that makes her think of a cow in its death throes. For one lightning-quick moment she entertains the idea of slitting his throat, right here. But there is no joy in killing children; they are far too innocent, too trusting, and precious few of them ever beg for their lives the way their adult counterparts are so quick to do.

Instead she kneels next to the boy, places a hand gently against his shoulder and says, "oh my," as sweetly as she can.

He looks up, startled, torn between scrambling away from the stranger or letting the new lady tend to his scraped leg. Larxene reins her expression in, keeps her teeth hidden behind a gentle smile. It's a simple trick she learned long ago - never let them see how sharp your teeth are, and it's harder for them to cry wolf.

She casts a healing spell on his injury. Children are such simple creatures. She could kill him now; the shock on his face would almost be worth his quiet death.

But no. Larxene ruffles his hair in a shameless display of affection. "You'd better run back to town, little boy." Her voice is honey-sweet. "There's going to be a big surprise."

She's still smiling that practiced, gentle expression; the little boy smiles in return, thinking the surprise is a _good_ thing. He hugs her, wraps his chubby little arms around her knees, then prattles on in some language she can't be bothered to understand before running towards the town.

Larxene follows behind, not wanting to miss the fun. She keeps her smile pasted in place and waves the little boy forward; every so often he stops to shout something - something that sounds happy.

People are already screaming when they finally reach the town. The little boy seems to understand these are not joyful noises, sending a confused look behind him before he continues ahead. Still too trusting, she thinks.

When the first heartless comes bubbling out of the ground (just a shadow, but it wastes no time in skipping after the young heart) the little boy goes careening backwards with a gasp. Larxene catches him in her arms and he looks at her, grateful.

She smiles - all teeth now - and pushes the boy forward into the writhing mass of darkness.

Later, when she's lounging about back in Never Was, listening to the dull quiet of nothing, she'll recall the boy's final moments. The way he screamed not once, but thrice. The way he beat helplessly at the claws tearing at his flesh, tearing _into_ his flesh. His wild-eyed look of panic, his flailing struggle to escape, and then his sudden, final stillness as he stared back at her, lips parted in horrified realization.

She smiles again, glancing down at her empty hands.

"Surprise."

* * *

End Note: Originally written for kh_drabble challenge 250 _Sugar and Spice_. As I'm sure you can tell if you've read any of my other drabbles, this is a huge depart in my normal character. I don't often write people like Larxene and this was a blast to do.

Also, we've now reached fifty drabbles. I would like to pose a question to you, dear Readers. Would you like this anthology to continue collecting or would you like to see each drabble under their own story heading?


	51. The Name Game

**The Name Game**

* * *

"I wanna name our baby _Squiffie_."

It's a testament to how far Squall has come, really, that he does not turn around and ask Yuffie if she's stupid. Instead, he calmly sits the sharp pointy object he had just been cleaning down, turns carefully, and says "what?"

"Squiffie." She repeats, as if that makes it better. "You know, it's part you, part me. Like the baby." The worst offense is the fact that she looks _proud_ about this.

"Squiffie?"

"Or Leffie, if you prefer. You _did_ go by that for a while." Yuffie pats at the little bulge that is her stomach thoughtfully. "I suppose it depends on if it's a girl or boy."

It takes some extremely long minutes for Squall's brain to catch up with this whole naming system she's concocted and part of him instantly wants to blame it on pregnancy brain. Which isn't fair in the least, he remembers when Zack and Aerith were expecting and _she_ wasn't _nearly_ this crazy when she was pregnant. "Where exactly did you come up with this?"

She shrugs, waddling across the kitchen to paw for whatever she's currently craving at the moment. Squall has learned not to try to assist in this endeavor, she once started out wanting apples only to decide she wanted yogurt only to decide she wanted fish sticks and _custard_, so he just moves carefully out of her way while she does her thing and waits for her to answer.

"It was in a book or something, I didn't actually _read_ it but it was hella popular, kinda gross too with all the pining and weeping and moping that happened. _Long_ books. Anyway, the girl combined two names to get her baby's name." Yuffie pauses, staring hard at the box of instant potatoes. "Granted, she combined her mom's name and her mother-in-law's name, but my mom died before I knew her as anything other than _Mommy_ and you're still kind of in the dark about who birthed you so," she shrugs again as if that settles everything.

"Squiffie." Once more, just for clarification, because really, Squall loves her but _really_.

"Yup. Or Leffie. I'm not settled on which one sounds more like a boy name yet."

The truly great thing about living in a house with most of your closest friends is the fact that one never has to look far to find backup. "You're not naming our child Squiffie." He says, perfectly calm and perfectly serious. Then Squall turns, manages to catch Aerith as she's coming down the stairs and repeats, "she's _not_ naming our child Squiffie."

"Leffie it is then!" Yuffie walks by, carrying a bowl that appears to have mashed potatoes, a whole dinner role, and the left over spaghetti sauce from last night.

Aerith stares at her with a fond little smile. "Tifa went through this phase too," she explains.

"There's a _phase_ to this madness?"

She nods, "tried to name her little girl Cloti. Don't worry; we'll talk her out of it." She gives Squall a sympathetic pat on the hand, as if he's a kid or something, and then she's gone. Hopefully to convince Yuffie what a terrible, terrible idea this is.

Squall stares down at the little silver ring adorning his left hand and reminds himself that yes, marrying her _is still_ the best thing he's done and he always knew what he was getting himself in for. Honest.

Then he hears her crying from the other room, about how he doesn't love the names she picked out because he doesn't really love _her_ and he decides the best idea for the moment is to hide out at Merlin's for a while.

* * *

End Note: This...piece of ridiculous was originally written for the kh_drabble challenge sobriquet, and tops out at 606 words.


	52. Ex Animo

**Ex Animo**

* * *

Kairi watches the water as it ripples away from their little boat. She sighs, fingering the end of her uniform tie. "What do you think happened?" Her voice is low, a strain of exhaustion showing in the first five words she has spoken outside of school today.

Sora doesn't quite look at her, keeps his eyes trained on the paddle in his hand and the steady motion it makes as he pulls them closer to the island. "Nightmares, probably." He lets his gaze flick over her for a moment, "which if I had to guess, you've been having too?"

She gives him a wane smile, "not too bad."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Do you want to talk about _yours_?"

It's Sora's turn to smile, a full upturn of his lips. "You got me there." He lets the conversation slip away, replaced instead with the kind of companionable silence that only comes between best friends.

"You know, if we want Riku to talk, we're going to have to share." Says Kairi as they dock at the little island. She reaches out to Sora, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

Sora doesn't let go of her as they walk across the beach, towards the Seaside Shack. "Well, this way there'll be no spoilers."

Their hearts flutter as they re-emerge in the sun. It's enough to let them know Riku is on the little islet with the paopu tree. They share an easy smile as they trip their way across the bridge.

He's sitting on the curve of the tree, his back towards them. They each make quiet note of the way Riku seems to be trembling.

Sora launches himself onto the tree-trunk from behind, while Kairi meanders around the front, braces her foot against the tree and holds a hand out to Riku who helps her up without a word.

They sandwich their friend, sitting close enough to brush arms and knock knees. Sora sets everything into motion.

"I have bad dreams," he says, "that I never found you. That the heartless eat _everything_ and there's nothing I can do about it." Nobody is making eye contact, confessing secrets to the horizon and the setting sun instead.

Riku's whole body stiffens; Kairi can feel him holding his breath. "Namine has nightmares about Castle Oblivion, about the things they made her do," she doesn't add _the things they did to her_, "I have problems on full moon nights." They don't ask her for clarification. Riku taps her fingers until she slips her hand into his.

"I don't," Riku pauses to clear his throat, "it wasn't a bad dream this time." Kairi squeezes his hand, "I was brushing my teeth, getting ready for school. I looked up at the mirror and," he drifts off again, worrying at his lip and not looking either of his friends.

Sora nudges him with his shoulder. "Riku, man, you don't have to sweat things like that. It doesn't matter if you shape-shifted into a starfish in the middle of the night, that's just an outside appearance." He leans forward to tap at Riku's chest, "it's what's in _here_ that counts."

"It always has been," says Kairi at his side, "you'll still be you. Nobody can change that."

"I know, it's just-" Sora and Kairi cut him off, embracing him suddenly and almost tipping all three of them off the back of the tree.

"It's scary." Sora confirms.

"But we're here for you. You don't have to go through this alone."

Riku smiles, a little twitch of the lips that they almost miss. "I know, thanks guys."

* * *

End Note: Originally written for the lj community kh_drabble challenge [254] Expressions of Love. This drabble tops out at 600 words exactly.


	53. Beneath the Watchful Moon

**Beneath the Watchful Moon**

WARNING: IMPLIED NON!CON, PLEASE DO NOT READ IF THAT SQUICKS YOU

* * *

Kairi wakes in the middle of the night (on the full moon, always on the full moon) knowing without a doubt that she could have saved Saix if she had really tried. She should have saved him. It wouldn't have been very hard, he had only wanted to be real. All she had to do was let him in (lapping at the pulse point in her neck) open her heart (hand sliding beneath the hem of her dress) think a little harder about how to give back (he took, he took so much.) He never meant to hurt her (if she says it enough, it'll be true.)

Only, she had been too afraid, hadn't she? She had been too wrapped up in the cold of the cell and the stench of darkness clinging to everything like a (pulse) second skin. She was supposed to be a princess of heart, pure and light and good. She could have saved him, if she had really thought about it. If she had been a little kinder, a little more bright, she could have saved him.

The moon watches her through the window, silent, cold, and accusing as she sucks in air and tries to calm her racing heart.

* * *

End Note: This was a very short drabble, 205 words, written for no particular reason other than the fact that my brain works in weird ways...


	54. No Direction Do I See

**No Direction Do I See**

* * *

There are two notes on the table. The first one, slightly crumpled and torn at the edges from a day of passing between hands, is written in Cloud's messy script: _Don't come after me._ This has already been the source of grief, studied over twenty four hours as if a secret message could be uncovered in the terse four words.

The second one is new, scrawled on the back of a napkin and held down with a half empty glass of water. The condensation has caused some of the letters to blur, but over-all it remains legible and says, quite simply: _Don't worry, we'll be home soon!_ Tifa's boundless optimism bleeding through the short missive.

They race to where the Gummi Ship should be, already feeling the inevitable in their hearts.

It's gone, nothing but a slight silhouette of it remains in the crushed grass. There is a moment of stunned silence while the four left behind try to absorb what their eyes see. It's almost like a fairy tale, the way their friends simply disappeared in the middle of the night. Aerith tries to pretend that's what happened. One friend transformed into a (_demon_) frog and the other chasing after, a warped form of true love's kiss presented in stubbornness and open-hearted affection.

Cid breaks the reverie. He lights up a cigarette and swears loudly at the sky, employing every inappropriate word he knows and then some. Yuffie watches him with a grotesque kind of hero worship lighting her eyes. The part of Aerith that isn't torn in pieces over this latest development makes a mental note to invest in a lot of soap for the inevitable punishments she'll have to dish out to the younger girl.

Squall has become very well versed at saying nothing. He squares his shoulders and marches back to the temporary shelter they've begun to call home, wordless as always. Aerith watches him go with half an eye, wishing to herself that he'd _do_ something; get angry or sad or laugh at the stars because, really, this was just par for the course, wasn't it?

Yuffie tugs at Aerith's hand, turning star-bright eyes upward. "Tifa went after Cloud, didn't she?"

Aerith scoops the younger girl up, settling her on her hip. Yuffie's almost too big to be treated like this, but Aerith intends to help keep her childhood intact as long as possible. "Looks like."

Yuffie is digesting the situation, staring in wonder at the sky. "But Cloud told us not to."

"Well, yes, he did." Aerith shifts to find a better grip on Yuffie.

"Then why didn't she listen?"

They watch as Cid degrades to throwing rocks about in an effort to vent his frustration. Aerith lets the silence lapse for a long moment while she considered her words.

"Sometimes," she says, "that's what friends do. Sometimes you end up loving someone so much that you can't sit by while they hurt, and so you don't listen to what they say."

"Why didn't Tifa take us with her then? We all love Cloud." Yuffie yawns, resting her head on Aerith's shoulder. They turn to the shared apartment, leaving Cid to voice his displeasure at the empty night sky alone. He'll get tired and Aerith thinks all this fuss calls for a nice pot of hot soup. Nothing does the soul better than a bowl of warm food.

She stops outside the door, admitting the truth that Squall and Cid are over-looking in their initial frustration; "Because, we need to be the home for them to come back to."

* * *

End Note: This piece was originally written for the kh_drabble challenge [261] _Disobey_ and tops out at 597 words. In case you can't tell, I have a particular soft spot for the Radiant Garden Gang.


	55. Attention to Detail

**Attention to Detail**

**A.N. **This one starts out a little silly, but please bear with me, the pay off is (probably) worth it.

_For too long had the lovers been parted, separated by distance and duty, now at last they were reunited._

"Sora, my love," whispered Riku. "It was only the thought of you, of your brilliant smile and warm embrace that got me through the darkest of nights." He ran a hand lovingly through Sora's spiky mane of hair, stopping to cradle the back of his lover's head.

"Riku," sighed Sora. "I looked for you, I looked everywhere for you." A single tear dripped forlornly from his eye. "I thought I'd never see you again." He lifted up on his toes, sealing the reunion with a passionate kiss to his lover.

"It's alright now, Sora. The fighting is over; we'll never have to part again." Riku kissed Sora's tear stained cheeks.

Sora, smiling weakly, said 

"Selphie, we need to talk." Sora waved the shamelessly thick collection of copy paper about. Briefly, a title could be seen: _Crossing the Stars for Love_, with a caricature of two boys who looked alarmingly like Sora and Riku.

To her credit, Selphie didn't even feign innocence. "Aw, man. I was hoping it would be a few more weeks before you found it."

One of Sora's eyes twitched. "Selphie, what have we discussed about your stories?"

"Um, I'm supposed to make you more masculine?"

Sora's entire face went a rather charming shade of pink. "That's not what I mean and you know it! You've got to stop writing about Riku and me like we're a couple."

The look Selphie gave him clearly said she didn't believe they weren't. He chose to ignore it.

Riku, who was standing innocently behind his best friend and flipping through a copy of the story in question (swiped from unsuspecting fan-girls), suddenly let out a low whistle. "I didn't even know two guys were capable of _doing_ that." This only served to turn Sora from a pretty pink to a rather magnificent shade of red.

"Selphie! We're not gay, _please_ stop writing these things." Sora was just on the verge of dropping to his knees and begging when Riku butted in. Again.

"Actually, since she started passing these out I haven't had any problem with girls confessing to me." He made a face and quickly flipped a few pages.

Sora stared at Riku. Not the happy kind of stare, more of the _why do I keep you around_ sort. "What happened to backing me up here?"

To which Riku shrugged. "It's the truth and you know it."

Sora thought it over for a moment, and then for another moment because, really this was awkward fiction written about him and his best friend. This was awkward fiction about him and his best friend _doing_ awkward, untrue, things to each other. Then he thought of the time he had so many love letters crammed in his locker he couldn't find his books and the fact that he hasn't dealt with that in a while…

"Fine, but _please_ chill with the details? Some of those girls keep looking at me like they _know_ things about me."

Selphie beamed in triumph. "Sure thing!" She waved at the boys as they retreated to safety (aka, went off to find Kairi so Sora could whine to her and Riku could share the juicy bits, but Selphie wasn't supposed to know this, so shhh). "Now then, time to start work on my next piece!" Selphie pulled out a binder that had a rough cover drawn to it of two boys who vaguely resembled Tidus and Wakka with the words _The Game of Love_ scrawled across the top.

_For too long had the lovers been parted, separated by distance and duty, now at last they were reunited._

"Sora, my love," whispered Riku. "It was only the thought of you, of your brilliant smile and warm embrace that got me through the darkest of nights." He ran a hand lovingly through Sora's spiky mane of hair, stopping to cradle the back of his lover's head.

"Riku," sighed Sora. "I looked for you, I looked everywhere for you." A single tear dripped forlornly from his eye. "I thought I'd never see you again." He lifted up on his toes, sealing the reunion with a passionate kiss to his lover.

"It's alright now, Sora. The fighting is over; we'll never have to part again." Riku kissed Sora's tear stained cheeks.

Sora, smiling weakly, said 

"Selphie, we need to talk." Sora waved the shamelessly thick collection of copy paper about. Briefly, a title could be seen: _Crossing the Stars for Love_, with a caricature of two boys who looked alarmingly like Sora and Riku.

To her credit, Selphie didn't even feign innocence. "Aw, man. I was hoping it would be a few more weeks before you found it."

One of Sora's eyes twitched. "Selphie, what have we discussed about your stories?"

"Um, I'm supposed to make you more masculine?"

Sora's entire face went a rather charming shade of pink. "That's not what I mean and you know it! You've got to stop writing about Riku and me like we're a couple."

The look Selphie gave him clearly said she didn't believe they weren't. He chose to ignore it.

Riku, who was standing innocently behind his best friend and flipping through a copy of the story in question (swiped from unsuspecting fan-girls), suddenly let out a low whistle. "I didn't even know two guys were capable of _doing_ that." This only served to turn Sora from a pretty pink to a rather magnificent shade of red.

"Selphie! We're not gay, _please_ stop writing these things." Sora was just on the verge of dropping to his knees and begging when Riku butted in. Again.

"Actually, since she started passing these out I haven't had any problem with girls confessing to me." He made a face and quickly flipped a few pages.

Sora stared at Riku. Not the happy kind of stare, more of the _why do I keep you around_ sort. "What happened to backing me up here?"

To which Riku shrugged. "It's the truth and you know it."

Sora thought it over for a moment, and then for another moment because, really this was awkward fiction written about him and his best friend. This was awkward fiction about him and his best friend _doing_ awkward, untrue, things to each other. Then he thought of the time he had so many love letters crammed in his locker he couldn't find his books and the fact that he hasn't dealt with that in a while…

"Fine, but _please_ chill with the details? Some of those girls keep looking at me like they _know_ things about me."

Selphie beamed in triumph. "Sure thing!" She waved at the boys as they retreated to safety (aka, went off to find Kairi so Sora could whine to her and Riku could share the juicy bits, but Selphie wasn't supposed to know this, so shhh). "Now then, time to start work on my next piece!" Selphie pulled out a binder that had a rough cover drawn to it of two boys who vaguely resembled Tidus and Wakka with the words _The Game of Love_ scrawled across the top.


	56. Gone to What I Understand

**Gone to What I Understand**

**SPOILERS: **This drabble contains MAJOR spoilers for BBS.

_Prologue_

There is a boy, born to a world of endless sea and sky and sun. He knows there is more out there than this lonely little island, and he longs to learn the secrets hidden in the stars.

_Rehearsal_

The boy has escaped his island-bright prison; he carries the title of Apprentice now, a hefty burden to wear for one so young. He is not alone in this endeavor. There are others who extend a helpful hand, but friendship does not come easily to him.

He questions their master; the answers he earns leave him unsatisfied. There is power to be found in the darkness - he knows that, even at his untrained level - but it is denied to him by the rules of the light. He balks at the restriction, argues his point with the council again and again and again.

_Alpha__Test_

He is not the favored (son) apprentice. He does not inherit the hall. Though he has become a man and earned the title of Master, it is clear to him that his place is no longer here, bound by the rules and restrictions and the light.

The darkness can become his, if only he is brave enough to embrace it.

There is research to be done, experiments to execute, failures to sweep behind him in the name of (pride) discovery. It is nobody's business but his own if he has to sacrifice a (boy) heart or two along the way; every misguided step reveals another path. Infinite roads to the darkness - to the χ-blade - unfold before him. He will prove to those fools how misguided they really are, how much potential waits in the untapped darkness.

_Overture_

Everything has unraveled accordingly; Kingdom Hearts awaits him, bright and beautiful in the sky. He will not die here, on this forgotten battleground; the foolish apprentice of his (friend) enemy shall become the pawn in his ultimate plan. He will make the boy his vessel, so his heart may live on as his own body withers and gives way to time.

The boy fights him every moment, refusing to relinquish control of the body. It matters not; enough of his heart has seeped through, mingling with the boy's own until they create something else, some_one_else. The person who stands there and sees and breathes is neither and both in the same instant

It's a small concern of his, in the long run. There are plots to set into motion, a χ-blade to be forged and claimed, and this new body has granted him a whole lifetime in which to do so. Worlds shall fall and the darkness shall reign supreme, in the future he has planned.

_New__Game_

There are three friends bound to a world of endless sea and sky and sun. They know there is more out there than this lonely little island, and they long to learn the secrets hidden in the stars.

End Note: This piece was originally written for kh drabble challenge 266 Going Back and tops out at 533 words. Many thanks to my betas on this piece: Synchroshatter and Crimsoncookie (both at lj)


	57. Love Too Will Ruin Us

**Love Too Will Ruin Us**

They never tell you about the waiting, the pacing, the utter loneliness of being the one left behind. That being a princess of heart means putting you on a pedestal where no one can touch you or hold you or teach you how to fight- lest you should break. It means sitting on the dock while your two best friends load up their ship, kiss you on the cheek, and ask you to wait for them.

As if you're given a choice in the matter.

Now is when the real problem arises: living on a sleepy island paradise is well enough if you haven't tasted the stars and held worlds in your hand.

Kairi spends most of her time napping. She doesn't mean to, but the sun strokes her shoulders and the breeze whispers softly and the ocean hushes them all until she is dozing peacefully where she lay. Some days it's on the porch, curled in a wicker chair with a glass of lemonade sweating on the table beside her. Some days it's at Selphie's, letting the other girl brush her hair and tell her tales that may be true once upon a time.

Mostly it's on the beach- within reach of the ocean, sand tangled in her hair and hands and dusting her eye-lids, the sun keeping guard overhead in the blue, blue sky.

A soft voice breaks the spell by invoking her name.

There is no ocean, no beach, no sun and no sky. There is only white, the faint hum of florescent lighting, and a cold chill all over her body.

She thinks she may have cried out.

"Kairi dear, do you know where you are?" A lady leans over her, adjusting the IVs and various cords attached to Kairi's body. She has a kind face, the unfamiliar woman, if slightly pinched and mousey. Kairi can read the name-tag pinned above the breast pocket on her scrubs: Minnie, with a little red heart sticker besides it.

She thinks about the question, her brain fuzzy and distant, her mouth dry. Drugs, she thinks, it's always drugs. "Castle Oblivion?" She tries to sit up, tugging at the restraints on her arms and legs. It feels like there are more than normal. She wonders if she tried to escape again, but has no memory of it and wonders if it wasn't Namine instead (Doctor Isa say Namine is just a voice in her head.)

Minnie sighs and smiles and pets Kairi's hair. "No dear, what's the last thing you remember?"

She pulls a little harder on her restraints, body reacting sluggishly to her mental demands. There is a low buzz of panic building in the base of her throat and she knows: this is wrong, all wrong.

"I was waiting for my friend, Riku." There is a strap across her forehead; this is new. She tries to convince herself to be calm. All she can see is the overhead lighting and Minnie's face. She hears a door open, part of her (Namine, perhaps) acknowledges that she is out of time. "and Sora."

There is the sound of distinct footsteps, even paces across the linoleum floor and another face joins Minnie. Doctor Xehanort does not smile, merely stares down at his patient for a moment. "Kairi, Kairi, Kairi. We've been through this before. There is no such person as Sora." He taps her between the eyes. "It's all in your head."

They never tell you about the waiting, the pills, the empty promises that they can help you - make you better. They say they can make reality stay and stop twisting into the unreal: giant mice, talking dogs, cutting into your own skin - calling softly to the light-shadow version of yourself. It's all right, dear; it's all in your head, just hold still and take your medicine.

The door closes on her scream. It is not a surprising sound to the workers at Radiant Garden Mental Institution.

End Note: Originally written for kh drabble challenge [274] Sleep. This is the unabridged version, topping out at 649 words and was beta'd by the ever lovely lettersandliars (from lj).


	58. As Large as Alone

**As Large as Alone**

* * *

Aqua has set herself up on the relative safety of the beach- a strange, itchy thought to entertain when enemies lurk unseen in every direction, just waiting for her to step away from the sand. She is tired- tired of fighting, of waiting, of straining to remember a life before the endless darkness. She lays exhausted on the (dark) beach, listens to the (dark) splash of the tide and stares unseeing at the (dark) sky.

Time bleeds into itself, here in the Realm of Darkness. In the beginning, however long ago that was, Aqua tried to keep track of the days by watching the moon.

It never moved.

There are no stars to chart her location in the endless stretch of black sky. She cannot remember being tired or hungry - which may be a blessing, as Aqua's not sure how comfortable she is eating things born of darkness.

-

She is feverish for want of the light.

She comes to hate the moon; pale disc of false light, barely bright enough to illuminate the water's edge so one does not drown to death. She screams at it once, in a blind rage, and is chilled by the way the air swallows the sound.

It's hard not to dwell on what was when there is absolutely nothing else to do. Too often has Aqua closed her eyes and imagined: soft grass and star strewn sky and her best friends flanking her on either side- she dare not say their names in these little delusions of hers, too afraid to break the spell so much like a delicate soap bubble.

-

She catches herself laughing one day and the sound is so unexpected it shocks her back to reality and the (dark) sand and (dark) sea and (dark) sky.

She begins to believe other colors are just a lie and there will only ever be shades of black.

-

Aqua finds her Wayfinder - thrown into the sand at one point - and she stops, dusts it off, caresses its edges, straining to remember the work and love put into it. A promise, far off and distant rests in the back of her throat and she weeps for the friends she has (saved) lost.

-

There comes a light some length down the shore from her. It is sudden and foreign and so bright that it strikes her immobile and mute. Aqua watches helplessly as it crests and fades away, the after-image printed to the back of her eyes forever more.

It gives her hope enough to stand and move and begin working muscles that have long been dormant. She takes advantage of the strange way the Realm of Darkness has stagnated her fatigue and hunger, moves through the familiar warm up exercises and tries not to let her mind stray too far to the past- with sun-flooded hallways and the echo of laughter long lost still filling the empty moments.

* * *

End Note: Originally written for the kh_drabble community challenge [278] Alone, this drabble tops out at 489 words.


End file.
